Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सर्वे भवंतस्तिष्ठंतु सार्जुनाः सहकेशवाः । एको मुहूर्ताद्भीष्मादीन्सर्वान्नेष्ये यमक्षयम्

Transliteration

sarve bhavaṃtastiṣṭhaṃtu sārjunāḥ sahakeśavāḥ | eko muhūrtādbhīṣmādīnsarvānneṣye yamakṣayam

Translation

Bleibt ihr alle hier — zusammen mit Arjuna und Keśava. Ich allein werde binnen eines einzigen Muhūrta alle jene, beginnend mit Bhīṣma, in Yamas Wohnstatt senden.

Word by Word

• sarve: all (of you)
• sarve: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative/Nominative (8th/1st-सम्बोधन/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhavantaḥ: you (honored ones)
• bhavantaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक; honorific pronoun)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative/Nominative (8th/1st), Plural (बहुवचन); आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• tiṣṭhantu: stand/stay
• tiṣṭhantu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/Imperative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sa: with
• sa: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: Prefix-like indeclinable meaning 'with' (सह-अर्थे) used in compounds

• arjunāḥ: O Arjunas / those with Arjuna
• arjunāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative/Nominative (8th/1st), Plural (बहुवचन)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; preposition/adverb meaning 'together with' (सह-अव्यय)

• keśavāḥ: O Keśavas / those with Keśava
• keśavāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative/Nominative (8th/1st), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ekaḥ: I alone/one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• muhūrtāt: within/from a muhūrta
• muhūrtāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhīṣma-ādīn: Bhīṣma and others
• bhīṣma-ādīn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīṣma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); समास: भीष्मः आदिः येषां ते (आदि-समास, तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• neṣye: I will lead/take
• neṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ/Periphrastic future or simple future usage (भविष्यत्-अर्थे; प्रायः लृट्-लकारार्थ), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Uttama-puruṣa (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yama-kṣayam: to Yama’s abode/death
• yama-kṣayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); समास: यमस्य क्षयः/स्थानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Warrior-speaker within the narrative (Bhīma implied); framed by Sūta’s narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone champion steps forward while companions (with Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa) remain behind; the hero gestures toward the opposing elders, with a looming Yama-symbolic shadow in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhīṣma
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It dramatizes kṣātra-vīrya (martial valor) while implying that true power is rooted in divine favor and dharmic standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage links such extraordinary prowess to Guptakṣetra and Devī’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses the time-unit muhūrta to stress swift action.