Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

संनह्य प्रथमं याति यः सैन्यं शत्रुभूमिषु । स क्षत्रियो विजयते तस्य राज्यं च वर्धते

Transliteration

saṃnahya prathamaṃ yāti yaḥ sainyaṃ śatrubhūmiṣu | sa kṣatriyo vijayate tasya rājyaṃ ca vardhate

Translation

Der Kṣatriya, der sich zuerst wappnet und sein Heer in das Land des Feindes führt, erringt den Sieg, und sein Reich wächst.

Word by Word

• संनह्य: having armed/arrayed (himself)
• संनह्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-नह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययीभावप्राय-क्रियाविशेषण; धातु: नह् (to bind/arm) उपसर्ग: सम्

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शत्रु-भूमिषु: on/among enemy lands
• शत्रु-भूमिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative): शत्रोः भूमिः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षत्रियः: the kshatriya (warrior)
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विजयते: is victorious / conquers
• विजयते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-जी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• वर्धते: grows/prospers
• वर्धते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kṣatriya king arms first and leads troops into enemy territory; banners rise, chariots roll, disciplined ranks—victory and kingdom expansion implied.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriya (ideal ruler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous leadership includes courage, readiness, and taking responsibility rather than delaying action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, though the verse itself is rāja-nīti instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes conduct (nīti) for a ruler rather than a ritual.