Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

ततः सैन्यं क्षयं नीते गणै र्देवीप्रचोदितैः । योद्धुकामः स महिषो गणैः साकं व्यतिष्ठत

Transliteration

tataḥ sainyaṃ kṣayaṃ nīte gaṇai rdevīpracoditaiḥ | yoddhukāmaḥ sa mahiṣo gaṇaiḥ sākaṃ vyatiṣṭhata

Translation

Puis, lorsque l’armée eut été menée à la destruction par les troupes poussées par la Devī, ce Mahiṣa—désireux de combattre—se tint face aux troupes.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Sequence (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/कालवाचक

• सैन्यम्: the army
• सैन्यम्: Karma (Patient; passive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case) — कर्मणि-प्रयोगे प्रथमा (passive subject)

• क्षयम्: destruction
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (2nd case)

• नीते: was led/brought
• नीते: Kriya (Passive predication)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नीत (कृदन्त; √नी past passive participle)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘नीत’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; कर्मणि-भावे ‘(सैन्यं) क्षयं नीतम्/नीतम्’ = was brought to destruction

• गणैः: by the troops
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; तृतीया (3rd case)

• देवीप्रचोदितैः: urged by the Goddess
• देवीप्रचोदितैः: Karana-viśeṣaṇa (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी + प्रचोदित (कृदन्त; √चुद् with प्र-; PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; तृतीया (3rd case); समासः—तत्पुरुष (देव्याः प्रचोदिताः = urged by the Goddess)

• योद्धुकामः: desiring to fight
• योद्धुकामः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योद्धु (तुमुन् infinitive of √युध्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st case); समासः—तत्पुरुष (योद्धुं कामः = desirous to fight)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st case)

• महिषः: Mahisha (buffalo-demon)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st case); ‘सः’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• गणैः: with the troops
• गणैः: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; तृतीया (3rd case)

• साकम्: together with
• साकम्: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साकम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• व्यतिष्ठत: stood forth/took position
• व्यतिष्ठत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) with वि- + अति- (व्यति-); तिङन्त
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in third-person narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the asura army is shattered, Mahiṣa stands forward, eager to fight, facing Devī’s hosts drawn up in formation under her impetus.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gaṇas
• Mahiṣa (Mahiṣāsura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma loses its support, it stands exposed; the narrative narrows to the decisive confrontation with the source of oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.