Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

न कश्चित्पौरुषं तत्र संप्रदर्शयितुं क्षमः । पलायनपरा सर्वे वध्यन्ते निशितैः शरैः

Transliteration

na kaścitpauruṣaṃ tatra saṃpradarśayituṃ kṣamaḥ | palāyanaparā sarve vadhyante niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ

Translation

そこでは、誰ひとり武勇を示すことができなかった。皆、逃走にのみ心を向け、鋭い矢に討ち倒された。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• kaścit: anyone
• kaścit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaścid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• pauruṣam: manly valor
• pauruṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• saṃpradarśayitum: to display
• saṃpradarśayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-pra-dṛś (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; अर्थः—दर्शयितुम् (to show)

• kṣamaḥ: capable
• kṣamaḥ: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicative)

• palāyana-parāḥ: intent on fleeing
• palāyana-parāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: palāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पलायने पराः = devoted to fleeing); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vadhyante: are slain
• vadhyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vadh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• niśitaiḥ: sharp
• niśitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• śaraiḥ: by arrows
• śaraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator continuing the battle account

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield beside a broad riverbank: warriors turning to flee as a rain of sharp arrows cuts them down; dust, broken standards, and the river’s calm flow contrasting with human chaos.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When inner strength (tejas) is lost—often through adharma—outer courage collapses, and fear leads to ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it remains part of the chapter’s tīrtha-framed narrative that later gestures toward Narmadā sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.