Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

शतलक्षै रथैश्चापि लक्षायुतपदातिभिः । युक्तो महाहनुर्दैत्यो देव्या युधि निपातितः

Transliteration

śatalakṣai rathaiścāpi lakṣāyutapadātibhiḥ | yukto mahāhanurdaityo devyā yudhi nipātitaḥ

Translation

Bien qu’il fût soutenu par cent millions de chars et par une infanterie comptant des dizaines de millions, l’asura Mahāhanu fut terrassé par la Déesse au combat.

Word by Word

• 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

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

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

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

• लक्ष-अयुत-पदातिभिः: with lakhs and tens-of-thousands of foot-soldiers
• लक्ष-अयुत-पदातिभिः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• युक्तः: joined/attended (equipped)
• युक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• महाहनुः: Great-jaw (name: Mahāhanu)
• महाहनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + हनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दैत्यः: demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• देव्याः: by the Goddess
• देव्याः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

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

• निपातितः: was struck down
• निपातितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; passive sense)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon Mahāhanu, towering with massive jaw, stands amid chariots and infantry; Devī’s arrow strikes decisively, and he collapses as banners fall and the army recoils.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahāhanu
• Daityas/Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Numbers and might cannot protect adharmic leadership; divine justice prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra is the overarching locus of the Setukhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records the fall of an asura commander.