Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

रथो ध्वजो धनुश्चैव छत्रं च कवचं तथा । क्षणेन शतधा भूतं सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः

Transliteration

ratho dhvajo dhanuścaiva chatraṃ ca kavacaṃ tathā | kṣaṇena śatadhā bhūtaṃ sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ

Translation

Son char, son étendard, son arc, son parasol et son armure aussi—en un instant—furent réduits en cent morceaux sous les yeux de toute l’armée.

Word by Word

• rathaḥ: chariot
• rathaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dhvajaḥ: banner/flag
• dhvajaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• chatram: parasol
• chatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kavacam: armor
• kavacam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/समुच्चय-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/also')

• kṣaṇena: in a moment
• kṣaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• śatadhā: into a hundred pieces
• śatadhā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śatadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: 'into a hundred parts')

• bhūtam: became/was made
• bhūtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकालिक-निष्पन्न, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (here: predicate participle 'became')

• sarvasainyasya: of the entire army
• sarvasainyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सैन्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वं सैन्यम्’)

• paśyataḥ: while (they) were watching
• paśyataḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense via genitive absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पश्यतः’ = ‘while (it) was seeing/looking on’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield tableau: a warrior’s chariot, banner, bow, parasol, and armor explode into fragments mid-air while ranks of soldiers stare in stunned silence; dust and splinters fill the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava (demon lord)
• Army (sainya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer symbols of power—banner, chariot, weapons—can vanish instantly; true strength is alignment with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; this is a battlefield description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.