Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

युद्धोत्साहपरै रौद्रैर्नानाशस्त्रप्रहारिभिः । अथ ते दानवा दृष्ट्वा स्त्रीसैन्यं तत्समागतम्

Transliteration

yuddhotsāhaparai raudrairnānāśastraprahāribhiḥ | atha te dānavā dṛṣṭvā strīsainyaṃ tatsamāgatam

Translation

Wild und kampfbegierig, mit Schlägen aus mancherlei Waffen; da sahen jene Dānavas jenes Frauenheer dort herankommen.

Word by Word

• युद्ध-उत्साह-परैः: with those intent on battle-enthusiasm
• युद्ध-उत्साह-परैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); तत्पुरुषसमासः ('devoted to zeal for battle')

• रौद्रैः: with fierce (ones)
• रौद्रैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• नाना-शस्त्र-प्रहारिभिः: with attackers using various weapons
• नाना-शस्त्र-प्रहारिभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('strikers with various weapons')

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• दानवाः: demons (Dānavas)
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्तः; क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive)

• स्त्री-सैन्यम्: the women's army
• स्त्री-सैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ('women's army')

• तत्-समागतम्: that had arrived/come together
• तत्-समागतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) → समागत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'स्त्रीसैन्यम्' इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce female host surges forward, weapons flashing; daityas turn to look, startled at the sight of a women-led army arriving—tension before engagement.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava (demons)
• Strīsainya (women’s army)
• Kelīśvarī and Mātṛkās (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narratives invert worldly assumptions: divine śakti may appear unexpected (a women’s army) yet embodies irresistible dharmic power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is within Tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse is part of the mythic episode rather than explicit tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the demons’ reaction upon seeing the approaching forces.