Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मुद्गरा भिंडिपालाश्च शतघ्न्योऽथ वरेषवः । प्रासाः कुन्ताश्च भल्लाश्च तस्मिन्काले विनिर्मिताः । विशेषाहवसंबन्धव्यूहानां प्रक्रियाश्च याः

Transliteration

mudgarā bhiṃḍipālāśca śataghnyo'tha vareṣavaḥ | prāsāḥ kuntāśca bhallāśca tasminkāle vinirmitāḥ | viśeṣāhavasaṃbandhavyūhānāṃ prakriyāśca yāḥ

Translation

In that time were fashioned maces (mudgara), bhiṇḍipālas, śataghnīs, and excellent arrows; also javelins (prāsa), spears (kunta), and bhalla-darts—together with specialized procedures for battle-formations suited to particular modes of combat.

Word by Word

• मुद्गराः: maces
• मुद्गराः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भिण्डिपालाः: bhindipāla weapons (a kind of missile/spear)
• भिण्डिपालाः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिण्डिपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• शतघ्न्यः: śataghnī weapons (stone/iron missiles; 'hundred-slayer')
• शतघ्न्यः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतघ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अथ: then, and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/समुच्चय) — 'then/and'

• वर-इषवः: excellent arrows
• वर-इषवः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — कर्मधारयः (वराः इषवः)

• प्रासाः: spears, lances
• प्रासाः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कुन्ताः: javelins
• कुन्ताः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• भल्लाः: barbed arrows/darts
• भल्लाः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• काले: time, period
• काले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विनिर्मिताः: were constructed
• विनिर्मिताः: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्मा/निर्मा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — 'having been made'

• विशेषाहवसंबन्धव्यूहानाम्: of the special battle-related formations/arrays
• विशेषाहवसंबन्धव्यूहानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष + आहव + सम्बन्ध + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषे आहवे सम्बन्धिनः व्यूहाः)

• प्रक्रियाः: procedures, methods
• प्रक्रियाः: Kartā/Karma (Listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रक्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• याः: which
• याः: Anuyogī (Relative pronoun; links clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine armory scene: racks of maces, spears, darts; artisans crafting śataghnīs; commanders drawing battle formations on the ground, troops assembling accordingly.

Characters & Entities

• Mudgara
• Bhiṇḍipāla
• Śataghni
• Prāsa
• Kunta
• Bhalla
• Vyūha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s defense involves ordered discipline—skills, tools, and proper formation—rather than chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it catalogs martial preparations within the Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.