Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

विजित्य दैत्यराजेन वाहनत्वे प्रकल्पिताः । अष्टाष्टचक्रः सरथश्चतुर्योजनविस्तृतः

Transliteration

vijitya daityarājena vāhanatve prakalpitāḥ | aṣṭāṣṭacakraḥ sarathaścaturyojanavistṛtaḥ

Translation

Nachdem sie vom Daitya-König bezwungen worden waren, wurden sie als sein Gefährt bestimmt; und der Wagen, mit acht und acht Rädern versehen, erstreckte sich über vier Yojanas an Breite.

Word by Word

• विजित्य: having conquered
• विजित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: वि-जि; ‘having conquered’

• दैत्यराजेन: by the Daitya-king
• दैत्यराजेन: Karta (Agent in passive/PPP context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-राज (प्रातिपदिक; दैत्य + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘by the king of the Daityas’)

• वाहनत्वे: in the role of vehicles
• वाहनत्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहनत्व (प्रातिपदिक; वाहन + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (‘state of being a vehicle’)

• प्रकल्पिताः: were appointed
• प्रकल्पिताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘appointed/arranged’

• अष्टाष्टचक्रः: having sixteen wheels
• अष्टाष्टचक्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-अष्ट-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + अष्ट + चक्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद): ‘having eight-and-eight wheels’ (= sixteen-wheeled)

• सरथः: with its chariot
• सरथः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-रथ (प्रातिपदिक; स + रथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-प्रायः ‘with a chariot’ (qualifying subject)

• चतुर्योजनविस्तृतः: spread over four yojanas
• चतुर्योजनविस्तृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-योजन-विस्तृत (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + योजन + विस्तृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (measure): ‘extended to four yojanas’

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal chariot spanning four yojanas, with sixteen wheels (eight-and-eight), harnessed to Garuḍa-like beings now forced into service; the Daitya-king’s banner rises above like a moving fortress.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya-rāja (Daitya king)
• ratha (chariot)
• yojana (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It dramatizes the scale of adharma’s might in Purāṇic narrative, setting the stage for divine intervention and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this verse focuses on martial/cosmic scale rather than pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.