Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

पदाता बहवस्तत्र शक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः । खड्गतोमरनाराचैः पाशमुद्गरशोभिताः

Transliteration

padātā bahavastatra śaktiśūlaparaśvadhaiḥ | khaḍgatomaranārācaiḥ pāśamudgaraśobhitāḥ

Translation

Dort standen zahlreiche Fußsoldaten, glänzend anzusehen—bewaffnet mit Speeren (Śakti), Dreizacken und Äxten; und geschmückt mit Schwertern, Wurfspießen, eisernen Pfeilen, Schlingen und Keulen.

Word by Word

• पदाताः: foot-soldiers
• पदाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agreeing with पदाताः

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः: with spears, tridents, and axes
• शक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + परश्वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (शक्तयः च शूलानि च परश्वधाः च) → collective; Instrumental plural

• खड्गतोमरनाराचैः: with swords, javelins, and iron arrows
• खड्गतोमरनाराचैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तोमर (प्रातिपदिक) + नाराच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; Instrumental plural

• पाशमुद्गरशोभिताः: adorned with nooses and maces
• पाशमुद्गरशोभिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभित (शुभ् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पाशैः मुद्गरैः च शोभिताः) = adorned with nooses and maces; agreeing with पदाताः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dense ranks of foot-soldiers glittering with varied weapons—tridents, axes, swords, javelins, iron arrows, nooses, and maces—forming a bristling wall of steel.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid warfare, the Purāṇic vision frames action as disciplined duty (dharma) rather than mere aggression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāra sacred region of Śiva (Kedāranātha/Kedāra tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a descriptive battlefield passage.