Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एकविंशत्सहस्राणि शतान्यष्टौ च सप्ततिः । सानुगानां सयोधानां रथानां वातरंहसाम्

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatsahasrāṇi śatānyaṣṭau ca saptatiḥ | sānugānāṃ sayodhānāṃ rathānāṃ vātaraṃhasām

Translation

Einundzwanzigtausend, achthundert und siebzig—Streitwagen, windesschnell, samt Gefolge und Kriegern.

Word by Word

• eka-viṃśat-sahasrāṇi: twenty-one thousand
• eka-viṃśat-sahasrāṇi: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Theme)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (एकविंशत्-सहस्राणि = 21000)

• śatāni: hundreds
• śatāni: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Theme)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• saptatiḥ: seventy
• saptatiḥ: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Theme)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्या (70)

• sa-anugānām: of those with followers
• sa-anugānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + anuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (अनुगैः सह)

• sa-yodhānām: of those with warriors
• sa-yodhānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + yodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (योधैः सह)

• rathānām: of chariots
• rathānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vāta-raṃhasām: of those swift as the wind
• vāta-raṃhasām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + raṃhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (वातवत् रंहसः/वेगः येषां)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of wind-swift chariots in precise numbers, each with attendants and warriors, surging across the battlefield at Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (implied)
• Dānavas (implied foes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is measured and counted, yet it remains subordinate to divine protection of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the narrative setting within its Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives a martial enumeration (ratha-saṅkhyā) within the story.