Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

छेदिताः स्फोटिताश्चैव केचिच्छस्त्रैर्द्विधा कृताः । नाराचैश्च तथा केचिच्छस्त्रास्त्रैः शकलीकृताः

Transliteration

cheditāḥ sphoṭitāścaiva kecicchastrairdvidhā kṛtāḥ | nārācaiśca tathā kecicchastrāstraiḥ śakalīkṛtāḥ

Translation

Les uns furent tranchés, les autres brisés, d’autres encore fendus en deux par les armes; de même, certains furent mis en pièces par des flèches de fer, par des armes et des traits.

Word by Word

• छेदिताः: cut
• छेदिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छेदित (कृदन्त; धातु √छिद्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); भूतकृदन्त — ‘cut’

• स्फोटिताः: smashed
• स्फोटिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फोटित (कृदन्त; धातु √स्फुट्/√स्फोट्, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त — ‘burst/smashed’

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

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

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम — ‘some’

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

• द्विधा: into two (in two parts)
• द्विधा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कृताः: made
• कृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; धातु √कृ, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त — ‘made’ (i.e., made into two)

• नाराचैः: by iron arrows
• नाराचैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनुक्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; अनिश्चितवाचक — ‘some’

• शस्त्रास्त्रैः: by weapons and missiles
• शस्त्रास्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः — ‘weapons and missiles’

• शकलीकृताः: shattered into fragments
• शकलीकृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शकली (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ, क्त)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; नामधातु/कृदन्तार्थ — ‘made into pieces’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brutal close-up of combat: bodies cut, shattered, split; iron arrows and missiles tear through armor, with fragments and broken weapons scattered across the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence fractures bodies and communities alike; Purāṇic narrative warns that pride-driven war leads to ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context implies Kedāra’s sacred landscape, but the verse itself is not praising a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is given here.