Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

अथ प्रभाते युद्धाय पुरं संरुध्य संस्थिताः । राजानश्चारवक्त्रेभ्यः शुश्रुवुः परमाद्भुतम्

Transliteration

atha prabhāte yuddhāya puraṃ saṃrudhya saṃsthitāḥ | rājānaścāravaktrebhyaḥ śuśruvuḥ paramādbhutam

Translation

やがて夜明け、都を包囲して戦いに備えて立つと、諸王は触れ役と使者たちの口から、至上の不思議を聞いた。

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Avyaya (Discourse marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनन्तरार्थक/आरम्भसूचक (particle: ‘then/now’)

• प्रभाते: at dawn
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Location-time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचनम्

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे

• पुरम्: the city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचनम्

• संरुध्य: having besieged
• संरुध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), उपसर्गः—सम्; ‘having blocked/besieged’

• संस्थिताः: stood, were stationed
• संस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), ‘सम्’ उपसर्गः; पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• आर-वक्त्रेभ्यः: from the mouths of the Āras (bards/people named Āra)
• आर-वक्त्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), बहुवचनम्; स्रोतः/अपादानार्थे (‘from the mouths of…’)

• शुश्रुवुः: heard
• शुश्रुवुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• परम-अद्भुतम्: something supremely wondrous
• परम-अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, armies ring the city; banners flutter, armor gleams. Heralds and messengers speak urgently to assembled kings, whose stern faces shift to astonishment at the wondrous news.

Characters & Entities

• Kings (rājānaḥ)
• Messengers/Spies (cāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in the midst of warlike intent, divine revelation can redirect rulers from violence toward reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The besieged sacred city is contextually Ujjayinī/Ujjain, associated with Mahākāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets the narrative stage for transformation through hearing (śravaṇa) of the wondrous event.