Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

विस्फोट्य मुमुचे बाणान्वज्रवेगसमान्युधि । दशलक्षगजैश्चापि शतलक्षैश्च वाजिभिः

Transliteration

visphoṭya mumuce bāṇānvajravegasamānyudhi | daśalakṣagajaiścāpi śatalakṣaiśca vājibhiḥ

Translation

Dans la bataille, elle fit éclater et décocha ses flèches, rapides comme l’élan de la foudre—contre des troupes aux dix millions d’éléphants et aux cent millions de chevaux.

Word by Word

• विस्फोट्य: having burst forth
• विस्फोट्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-स्फुट्/स्फोट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having burst/caused to explode)

• मुमुचे: released, discharged
• मुमुचे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• वज्र-वेग-समाः: equal to thunderbolt-speed
• वज्र-वेग-समाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective qualifying बाणान् by sense)

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• दश-लक्ष-गजैः: with ten-lakh elephants
• दश-लक्ष-गजैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural); द्विगु-समास (numerical compound)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थ/समुच्चय (particle: also/even)

• शत-लक्षैः: with a hundred lakhs
• शत-लक्षैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental, Plural); द्विगु-समास

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वाजिभिः: with horses
• वाजिभिः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī releases volleys of arrows with explosive cracks; the arrows streak like lightning; the horizon is crowded with elephants and horses in impossible numbers, dust and rain mixing into a storm of war.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Asura army (elephants, horses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even vast worldly power collapses before divine resolve when it stands against dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra is the narrative setting (Setukhaṇḍa), though this verse itself focuses on the battle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse enumerates the scale of forces and the Goddess’ martial action.