Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ताम्रोलूकध्वजा रौद्रा द्वीपिचर्मांबरास्तथा । पिशाचास्तत्र राजंते महावेगपुरःसराः

Transliteration

tāmrolūkadhvajā raudrā dvīpicarmāṃbarāstathā | piśācāstatra rājaṃte mahāvegapuraḥsarāḥ

Translation

There also shone the Piśācas—fierce, bearing banners marked with copper-colored owls, clad in leopard-skin garments—rushing forward with great speed.

Word by Word

• ताम्र-उलूक-ध्वजाः: having copper-colored owl-banners
• ताम्र-उलूक-ध्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूक (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (descriptive epithet)

• रौद्राः: fierce
• रौद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• द्वीपि-चर्म-अम्बराः: wearing leopard-skin garments
• द्वीपि-चर्म-अम्बराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वीपि (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपपद-प्रयोगः (particle: 'also/and so')

• पिशाचाः: piśācas (ghouls)
• पिशाचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• राजन्ते: shine/appear splendid
• राजन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महावेग-पुरःसराः: having great speed as their vanguard/going in front swiftly
• महावेग-पुरःसराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मह (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A charging line of Piśācas surges forward: copper-owl emblems on banners, leopard-skin garments, wild hair and glaring eyes; dust and wind trail behind their sprint, suggesting supernatural velocity.

Characters & Entities

• Piśācas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purāṇic battlefield includes even dark and liminal beings, reminding readers that chaos too gathers momentum—hence the need for steadfast dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.