Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

रावणः सैन्यसं ख्यानं रणोत्साहं तदाऽकरोत् । प्रययावंगदो दौत्ये माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे

Transliteration

rāvaṇaḥ sainyasaṃ khyānaṃ raṇotsāhaṃ tadā'karot | prayayāvaṃgado dautye māghaśuklādyavāsare

Translation

അപ്പോൾ രാവണൻ തന്റെ സൈന്യത്തിന്റെ എണ്ണം കണക്കാക്കി യുദ്ധോത്സാഹം ഉണർത്തി. മാഘ ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യദിവസം അങ്കദൻ ദൗത്യത്തിനായി പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन

• सैन्यसङ्ख्यानम्: counting of the army
• सैन्यसङ्ख्यानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य + सङ्ख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: सैन्यस्य सङ्ख्यानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• रणोत्साहम्: battle-ardour
• रणोत्साहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: रणस्य उत्साहः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अकरोत्: did; made
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रययौ: set out; went forth
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः: प्र

• अङ्गदः: Aṅgada
• अङ्गदः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• दौत्ये: on a mission (as envoy)
• दौत्ये: Prayojana/Adhikarana (Purpose/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे: on the first day of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघशुक्लाद्यवासरे: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + शुक्ल + आद्य + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: माघस्य शुक्लस्य आद्यः वासरः (बहु-तत्पुरुष/समाहार)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa in council counts divisions of his army, drums and banners rising; simultaneously Aṅgada departs as envoy, stepping onto a causeway/shoreline with determined stride, carrying a message of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Aṅgada
• Māgha (Śukla pakṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in conflict, actions unfold through orderly decision and responsibility—envoy-work (dūtya) precedes destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a historical/time-marker within the Laṅkā narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the mention of Māgha is calendrical, not a vrata instruction here.