Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

महत्या सेनया सार्धं किमर्थं त्वमिहागतः । इत्युक्तो दीर्घतमसा तदानीं स सुदर्शनः

Transliteration

mahatyā senayā sārdhaṃ kimarthaṃ tvamihāgataḥ | ityukto dīrghatamasā tadānīṃ sa sudarśanaḥ

Translation

ഇത്ര വലിയ സൈന്യത്തോടുകൂടെ നീ ഇവിടെ എന്തിനാണ് വന്നത്? എന്ന് ദീർഘതമസ് ചോദിച്ചതോടെ, അപ്പോൾ സുദർശനൻ മറുപടി പറയാൻ ഒരുങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• महत्या: with great
• महत्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सेनया: with an army
• सेनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Avyaya (Comitative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), सहार्थक (with/together)

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose?
• किमर्थम्: Avyaya (Interrogative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb); तत्पुरुष-प्राय: कस्य अर्थे?

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• आगतः: (have) come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → आगत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (active sense): ‘has come’

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: having been addressed/said to
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त → उक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग: ‘having been said/addressed’

• दीर्घतमसा: by Dīrghatamas
• दीर्घतमसा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घतमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तदानीम्: then, at that time
• तदानीम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुदर्शनः: Sudarśana
• सुदर्शनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (transition line within the dialogue; Dīrghatamas’ question is quoted)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage foreground; beyond, a disciplined army with banners and elephants/horses halted respectfully at the tree line while the sage questions the leader.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghatamas
• Sudarśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts worldly power (an army) with the spiritual authority of a sage’s āśrama, prompting accountability for one’s intentions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative context within Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a situational inquiry in the story.