Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

शस्त्रैर्विच्छिन्नदेहा ये गवार्थे स्वामिकारणात् । रणे मृताः क्षता ये वै ते यांति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

śastrairvicchinnadehā ye gavārthe svāmikāraṇāt | raṇe mṛtāḥ kṣatā ye vai te yāṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

Ceux dont le corps est tranché par les armes, qui meurent blessés au combat pour la cause des vaches ou par fidélité à leur seigneur, atteignent assurément la destinée suprême.

Word by Word

• शस्त्रैः: by weapons
• शस्त्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural

• विच्छिन्नदेहाः: whose bodies are cut apart
• विच्छिन्नदेहाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + छिद् (धातु) + विच्छिन्न (कृदन्त) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘विच्छिन्न’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विच्छिन्नः देहः येषां ते)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• गवार्थे: for the sake of cows
• गवार्थे: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवाम् अर्थः)

• स्वामिकारणात्: because of (their) master’s cause/for their master
• स्वामिकारणात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामि + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वामिनः कारणम्)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• क्षताः: wounded
• क्षताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) √क्षद्/क्षत् (wounded)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चयार्थक (indeed)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन — they go

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (विशेषण)

• गतिम्: destination
• गतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Raiders threaten a herd; a warrior interposes himself, wounded yet resolute; cows cluster behind him; above, a Śiva-aura or celestial light receives his departing soul, signifying highest gati.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cows)
• Svāmī (lord/master)
• Raṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of cows and faithful defense of one’s rightful lord are treated as dharmic causes; sacrifice in such battle is praised as spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the focus is on dharma-based causes for battle within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a phala statement about dharmic sacrifice.