Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अथाभवन्महायुद्धं पुलिन्दानां द्विजोत्तमाः । हैहयाधिपतेर्योधैः सार्धं देवासुरोपमैः

Transliteration

athābhavanmahāyuddhaṃ pulindānāṃ dvijottamāḥ | haihayādhipateryodhaiḥ sārdhaṃ devāsuropamaiḥ

Translation

Then, O best of the twice-born, a great battle arose—between the Pulindas and the warriors of the Haihaya lord, fighters like gods and asuras in prowess.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable: ‘then/now’)

• अभवत्: there occurred, happened
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महायुद्धम्: a great battle
• महायुद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महत् युद्धम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुलिन्दानाम्: of the Pulindas
• पुलिन्दानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलिन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th case), बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (here likely vocative sense)

• हैहयाधिपतेः: of the lord of the Haihayas
• हैहयाधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हैहय + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘हैहयानाम् अधिपतिः’); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योधैः: with warriors
• योधैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (indeclinable: ‘together with’)

• देवासुरोपमैः: like gods and demons
• देवासुरोपमैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment-qualifier/सहकारीविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + असुर + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with योधैः)

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator addressing sages/Brāhmaṇas ("dvijottamāḥ")

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience of brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sprawling battlefield: Pulinda forces clash with Haihaya warriors; dust rises; weapons flash; the narration addresses ‘O best of twice-born’, suggesting a sage-audience witnessing or hearing of the cataclysmic fight.

Characters & Entities

• Pulinda
• Haihaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic history presents human power as transient; the narrative prepares for the theme that adharma and grave sin lead to loss of strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the surrounding Tīrthamāhātmya frame is associated with Narmadā-region sacred geography in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of the conflict.