Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

रथो ध्वजो धनुश्चैव छत्रं च कवचं तथा । क्षणेन शतधा भूतं सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः

Transliteration

ratho dhvajo dhanuścaiva chatraṃ ca kavacaṃ tathā | kṣaṇena śatadhā bhūtaṃ sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ

Translation

Sein Wagen, Banner, Bogen, Sonnenschirm und auch sein Harnisch wurden — in einem Augenblick — vor den Augen des ganzen Heeres in hundert Stücke zerschmettert.

Word by Word

• rathaḥ: chariot
• rathaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dhvajaḥ: banner/flag
• dhvajaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• chatram: parasol
• chatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kavacam: armor
• kavacam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/समुच्चय-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/also')

• kṣaṇena: in a moment
• kṣaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• śatadhā: into a hundred pieces
• śatadhā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śatadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: 'into a hundred parts')

• bhūtam: became/was made
• bhūtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकालिक-निष्पन्न, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (here: predicate participle 'became')

• sarvasainyasya: of the entire army
• sarvasainyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सैन्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वं सैन्यम्’)

• paśyataḥ: while (they) were watching
• paśyataḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense via genitive absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पश्यतः’ = ‘while (it) was seeing/looking on’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield tableau: a warrior’s chariot, banner, bow, parasol, and armor explode into fragments mid-air while ranks of soldiers stare in stunned silence; dust and splinters fill the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava (demon lord)
• Army (sainya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer symbols of power—banner, chariot, weapons—can vanish instantly; true strength is alignment with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; this is a battlefield description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.