Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

सहैवाहं गता देव युद्धं जातं नृपैः सह । हारितं सैनिकैस्तस्य गता नष्टा दिशो दश

Transliteration

sahaivāhaṃ gatā deva yuddhaṃ jātaṃ nṛpaiḥ saha | hāritaṃ sainikaistasya gatā naṣṭā diśo daśa

Translation

Auch ich ging mit ihm, o Herr. Mit jenen Königen entbrannte eine Schlacht. Sein Heer wurde in die Flucht geschlagen, und ich floh — verirrt in alle zehn Himmelsrichtungen.

Word by Word

• सह: together/with
• सह: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सह (सहकारक-प्रयोगः) = with

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• गता: went
• गता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘I (f.) went’

• देव: O god/lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (here: subject of ‘जातम्’)

• जातम्: arose/occurred
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘arose/occurred’

• नृपैः: by the kings
• नृपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental); बहुवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सह = with

• हारितम्: was carried off
• हारितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हारित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त धातु (हारयति) से क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘was carried off/removed’

• सैनिकैः: by the soldiers
• सैनिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental); बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive); एकवचन

• गता: went
• गता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (repeated predicate)

• नष्टा: lost/ruined
• नष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied subject)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; (qualifies ‘दिशः’)

Speaker

Mṛgyu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A revered figure within the story (possibly a sage/king/deity depending on surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic battlefield aftermath: broken chariots, scattered weapons, fleeing soldiers. The narrator figure runs with torn garments, looking back in terror, horizon spinning—ten directions symbolized by swirling banners and dust.

Characters & Entities

• kings (nṛpa)
• soldiers (sainika)
• ten directions (daśa diśaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma culminates in defeat and disorientation; suffering becomes the narrative pressure that turns one toward sacred refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story sits within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa), preparing the ground for the tīrtha’s redemptive significance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.