Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

शतलक्षै रथैश्चापि लक्षायुतपदातिभिः । युक्तो महाहनुर्दैत्यो देव्या युधि निपातितः

Transliteration

śatalakṣai rathaiścāpi lakṣāyutapadātibhiḥ | yukto mahāhanurdaityo devyā yudhi nipātitaḥ

Translation

ശതലക്ഷ രഥങ്ങളും ലക്ഷായുത പദാതികളും കൂടെയുണ്ടായിട്ടും മഹാഹനു ദൈത്യനെ ദേവി യുദ്ധത്തിൽ നിലംപതിപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• शत-लक्षैः: with a hundred lakhs
• शत-लक्षैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental, Plural); द्विगु-समास

• रथैः: with chariots
• रथैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थ (particle: also)

• लक्ष-अयुत-पदातिभिः: with lakhs and tens-of-thousands of foot-soldiers
• लक्ष-अयुत-पदातिभिः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• युक्तः: joined/attended (equipped)
• युक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• महाहनुः: Great-jaw (name: Mahāhanu)
• महाहनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + हनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दैत्यः: demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• देव्याः: by the Goddess
• देव्याः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• निपातितः: was struck down
• निपातितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; passive sense)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon Mahāhanu, towering with massive jaw, stands amid chariots and infantry; Devī’s arrow strikes decisively, and he collapses as banners fall and the army recoils.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahāhanu
• Daityas/Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Numbers and might cannot protect adharmic leadership; divine justice prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra is the overarching locus of the Setukhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records the fall of an asura commander.