Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पपात रक्तं तद्भस्म यत्र येषां च मर्म च । केवलं चैव पांडूनां कृपद्रोण्योश्च नास्पृशत

Transliteration

papāta raktaṃ tadbhasma yatra yeṣāṃ ca marma ca | kevalaṃ caiva pāṃḍūnāṃ kṛpadroṇyośca nāspṛśata

Translation

Esa ceniza, roja como la sangre, cayó precisamente donde estaban sus puntos vitales. Sin embargo, no tocó a los Pāṇḍavas en absoluto, ni a Kṛpa ni a Droṇa.

Word by Word

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• रक्तम्: blood
• रक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: 'where')

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: 'and')

• मर्म: vital spot
• मर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• पाण्डूनाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• कृपद्रोण्योः: of Kṛpa and Droṇa
• कृपद्रोण्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोणि/द्रोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन; समासः—कृपश्च द्रोणश्च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्पृशत: touched
• अस्पृशत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Red ash falls exactly on the marma points of many, yet visibly avoids the Pāṇḍavas, and also Kṛpa and Droṇa—creating a striking negative space around them.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavas
• Kṛpa
• Droṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection and downfall are not random; the Purāṇic worldview frames events as governed by dharma, merit, and divine ordinance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a narrative omen within the war-context episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.