Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पपात रक्तं तद्भस्म यत्र येषां च मर्म च । केवलं चैव पांडूनां कृपद्रोण्योश्च नास्पृशत

Transliteration

papāta raktaṃ tadbhasma yatra yeṣāṃ ca marma ca | kevalaṃ caiva pāṃḍūnāṃ kṛpadroṇyośca nāspṛśata

Translation

Jene blutrote Asche fiel genau dorthin, wo ihre vitalen Punkte waren. Doch die Pāṇḍavas berührte sie überhaupt nicht, ebenso wenig Kṛpa und Droṇa.

Word by Word

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• रक्तम्: blood
• रक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: 'where')

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: 'and')

• मर्म: vital spot
• मर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• पाण्डूनाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• कृपद्रोण्योः: of Kṛpa and Droṇa
• कृपद्रोण्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोणि/द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन; समासः—कृपश्च द्रोणश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्पृशत: touched
• अस्पृशत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Red ash falls exactly on the marma points of many, yet visibly avoids the Pāṇḍavas, and also Kṛpa and Droṇa—creating a striking negative space around them.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavas
• Kṛpa
• Droṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection and downfall are not random; the Purāṇic worldview frames events as governed by dharma, merit, and divine ordinance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a narrative omen within the war-context episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.