Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15
ततः शोणितनद्यश्च हर्षदाः पिशिताशिनाम् । वैतालानंददायिन्यो व्यजायंत सहस३शः
tataḥ śoṇitanadyaśca harṣadāḥ piśitāśinām | vaitālānaṃdadāyinyo vyajāyaṃta sahasa3śaḥ
तब रक्त की नदियाँ सहस्रों उठ खड़ी हुईं—मांसभक्षियों को हर्ष देने वाली और वैतालों को आनंद प्रदान करने वाली।
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Scene: From the battlefield, torrents of blood gather into branching streams like rivers; vetālas and flesh-eaters hover at the margins, exultant; the sky is smoky, the ground dark and slick.
FAQs
The Purāṇa depicts war’s aftermath as a realm where tamasic forces thrive, warning that violence nourishes dark tendencies rather than dharma.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse describes the battlefield environment.
None; it is a narrative image emphasizing the consequences of conflict.