Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

रथा रथैः समासक्ता गजाश्चापि महागजैः । पत्तयः पत्तिभिश्चैव हयाश्चापि महाहयैः

Transliteration

rathā rathaiḥ samāsaktā gajāścāpi mahāgajaiḥ | pattayaḥ pattibhiścaiva hayāścāpi mahāhayaiḥ

Translation

Chariots locked with chariots; elephants with mighty elephants; foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers; and horses with great horses—each force met its like in close combat.

Word by Word

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• रथैः: with chariots
• रथैः: Saha/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), बहुवचनम्

• समासक्ताः: were entangled/locked
• समासक्ताः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √सञ्ज् (धातु) → आसक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; भूतकृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त) ‘attached/entangled’

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (also)

• महागजैः: with great elephants
• महागजैः: Saha/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘महान्तः गजाः’

• पत्तयः: foot-soldiers
• पत्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पत्तिभिः: with foot-soldiers
• पत्तिभिः: Saha/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (also)

• महाहयैः: with great horses
• महाहयैः: Saha/Karana (Association/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘महान्तः हयाः’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symmetrical melee: chariots collide wheel-to-wheel; elephants grapple tusk-to-tusk; cavalry swirls against cavalry; infantry press shield-to-shield in dense ranks.

Characters & Entities

• Ratha
• Gaja
• Patti
• Haya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse shows the inevitability of confrontation when opposing powers align in like-for-like aggression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.