Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

महिषस्य हि विद्यन्ते महाबलपराक्रमाः । एकैकस्य प्रधानस्य चतुरङ्गबलं तथा

Transliteration

mahiṣasya hi vidyante mahābalaparākramāḥ | ekaikasya pradhānasya caturaṅgabalaṃ tathā

Translation

Denn Mahīṣa hatte Befehlshaber von gewaltiger Kraft und Tapferkeit; und jeder Hauptführer besaß ebenso ein vollständiges viergliedriges Heer.

Word by Word

• महिषस्य: of Mahiṣa (the buffalo-demon)
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/हेतुवाचक (particle: indeed/for)

• विद्यन्ते: exist, are found
• विद्यन्ते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd person plural, Ātmanepada)

• महा-बल-पराक्रमाः: of great strength and valor
• महा-बल-पराक्रमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक) + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; determinative compound)

• एक-एकस्य: of each one
• एक-एकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या) + एक (संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (Genitive, Singular; 'of each single one')

• प्रधानस्य: of the chief (leader)
• प्रधानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• चतुर्-अङ्ग-बलम्: fourfold army (four divisions)
• चतुर्-अङ्ग-बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक (indeclinable: likewise/also)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A survey-like tableau of Mahīṣa’s commanders—each with a complete fourfold army: elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry—arrayed in disciplined formations under ominous standards.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīṣa (Mahīṣāsura)
• Asura commanders

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may appear well-organized and formidable, yet it remains fragile before divine truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra is the textual setting; the verse itself is descriptive rather than tīrtha-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.