Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विदर्भनृपतिः सोऽथ कृत्वा युद्धं सुदारुणम् । प्रनष्टोरुबलैः शाल्वैर्निहतो रणमूर्धनि

Transliteration

vidarbhanṛpatiḥ so'tha kṛtvā yuddhaṃ sudāruṇam | pranaṣṭorubalaiḥ śālvairnihato raṇamūrdhani

Translation

Tras librar una batalla sumamente terrible, aquel rey de Vidarbha fue muerto en la misma cumbre del combate por los Śālvas, cuyas poderosas huestes no habían sido quebrantadas.

Word by Word

• विदर्भनृपतिः: the king of Vidarbha
• विदर्भनृपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भ-नृपति (प्रातिपदिक; विदर्भ + नृपति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थ (then/thereupon)

• कृत्वा: having done/fought
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दारुण (प्रातिपदिक; सु + दारुण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) युद्धम् इति विशेष्यस्य

• प्रनष्टोरुबलैः: whose great forces were ruined/dispersed
• प्रनष्टोरुबलैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नष्ट-उरु-बल (प्रातिपदिक; प्रनष्ट + उरु + बल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective) शाल्वैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• शाल्वैः: by the Śālvas
• शाल्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense)

• रणमूर्धनि: on the battlefield (at the battle-front)
• रणमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण-मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक; रण + मूर्धन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the climax of combat, the Vidarbha king Satyaratha falls—surrounded by unbroken Śālva forces; banners tilt, chariot wheels halt, dust and arrows hang in the air; the moment is both heroic and tragic.

Characters & Entities

• Satyaratha
• Vidarbha
• Śālva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the dharmic and courageous face mortality; worldly power is impermanent and tested by fate and conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse centers on battlefield fate rather than pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the turning point of the conflict.