Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बहूनां हि सहस्राणि देवगंधर्वरक्षसाम् । राज्ञां मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानां कलेर्नष्टानि तेऽभवन्

Transliteration

bahūnāṃ hi sahasrāṇi devagaṃdharvarakṣasām | rājñāṃ munīndradaityānāṃ kalernaṣṭāni te'bhavan

Translation

ನಿನ್ನ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಕಲಿಯ ಸಂಘರ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವರುಗಳು, ಗಂಧರ್ವರು, ರಾಕ್ಷಸರು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ರಾಜರು, ಮುನೀಂದ್ರರು, ದೈತ್ಯರು—ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಮಂದಿ ನಾಶಗೊಂಡರು.

Word by Word

• बहूनाम्: of many
• बहूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सहस्राणि इत्यस्य)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/कर्म-सम्भव (with अभवन्)

• देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्: of gods, gandharvas, and rākṣasas
• देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देवाः गन्धर्वाः रक्षांसि); षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानाम्: of sage-lords and daityas
• मुनीन्द्रदैत्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (मुनीन्द्राः दैत्याḥ); षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कलेः: of Kali
• कलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• नष्टानि: destroyed, lost
• नष्टानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (सहस्राणि)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अभवन्: became, came to be
• अभवन्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic tableau: devas, gandharvas, rākṣasas, kings, sages, and daityas shown in separate vignettes, all caught in the same red thread of conflict, symbolized by a dark wind or serpent of strife moving through them.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Rākṣasas
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained discord can lead to widespread ruin across all orders of beings; dharma warns against fomenting conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse continues a character-based critique within the dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative evaluation rather than a vrata or tīrtha injunction.