Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

तथैव श्वेतवसनाः सितपट्टपताकिनः । मत्तेभवाहनप्रायाः किंनरास्तस्थुराहवे

Transliteration

tathaiva śvetavasanāḥ sitapaṭṭapatākinaḥ | mattebhavāhanaprāyāḥ kiṃnarāstasthurāhave

Translation

So too the Kiṃnaras stood in battle—clad in white garments, bearing bright silken pennants, and for the most part mounted on rutting elephants.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle ('thus/so')

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

• श्वेत-वसनाः: wearing white garments
• श्वेत-वसनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सित-पट्ट-पताकिनः: having white silk banners
• सित-पट्ट-पताकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक) + पट्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + पताकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; पताकिन् = 'having a banner'

• मत्त-इभ-वाहन-प्रायाः: mostly having intoxicated elephants as mounts
• मत्त-इभ-वाहन-प्रायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + इभ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; प्राय = 'mostly/for the most part' (as adjective)

• किंनराः: kiṃnaras
• किंनराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंनर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तस्थुः: stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kiṃnaras in pristine white stand poised on the battlefield, bright silken pennants rising above them; many are mounted on rutting elephants with lifted trunks and foaming temples, forming a luminous, disciplined line amid chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Kiṃnaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and auspicious order (white garments and banners) are portrayed as allied to dharma, standing firm amid conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.