Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बहूनां हि सहस्राणि देवगंधर्वरक्षसाम् । राज्ञां मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानां कलेर्नष्टानि तेऽभवन्

Transliteration

bahūnāṃ hi sahasrāṇi devagaṃdharvarakṣasām | rājñāṃ munīndradaityānāṃ kalernaṣṭāni te'bhavan

Translation

Indeed, through your agency, thousands upon thousands—of gods, Gandharvas, and Rākṣasas, and likewise of kings, great sages, and Daityas—have been brought to ruin through conflict.

Word by Word

• बहूनाम्: of many
• बहूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सहस्राणि इत्यस्य)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/कर्म-सम्भव (with अभवन्)

• देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्: of gods, gandharvas, and rākṣasas
• देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देवाः गन्धर्वाः रक्षांसि); षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानाम्: of sage-lords and daityas
• मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (मुनीन्द्राः दैत्याḥ); षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कलेः: of Kali
• कलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• नष्टानि: destroyed, lost
• नष्टानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (सहस्राणि)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अभवन्: became, came to be
• अभवन्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic tableau: devas, gandharvas, rākṣasas, kings, sages, and daityas shown in separate vignettes, all caught in the same red thread of conflict, symbolized by a dark wind or serpent of strife moving through them.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Rākṣasas
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained discord can lead to widespread ruin across all orders of beings; dharma warns against fomenting conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse continues a character-based critique within the dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative evaluation rather than a vrata or tīrtha injunction.