Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56
न कश्चित्पुरुषस्तेषां सम्मुखोऽप्यभवद्रणे । किं पुनः सहसा योद्धुं भयेन महतान्वितः
na kaścitpuruṣasteṣāṃ sammukho'pyabhavadraṇe | kiṃ punaḥ sahasā yoddhuṃ bhayena mahatānvitaḥ
Dans la bataille, pas un seul homme parmi eux ne put même tenir face à l’ennemi ; à plus forte raison, comment quelqu’un aurait-il pu combattre soudainement, saisi d’une peur accablante ?
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)
Scene: A battlefield where an army cannot hold the enemy’s gaze; warriors recoil, shields lowered, faces pale, dust and broken standards signaling a collapse of morale rather than mere tactical loss.
FAQs
Adharma weakens inner strength; when conscience and merit fall away, courage collapses even before a righteous counter-force.
Not identified in this verse; the chapter as a whole belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.
None.