Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

संहतानि च सर्वाणि तदा तूर्याण्यवादयन् । अथ भग्नं बलं प्रेक्ष्य हतवीरं महारणे

Transliteration

saṃhatāni ca sarvāṇi tadā tūryāṇyavādayan | atha bhagnaṃ balaṃ prekṣya hatavīraṃ mahāraṇe

Translation

അപ്പോൾ എല്ലാ ദളങ്ങളും ഒന്നിച്ചു ചേർന്ന് തൂര്യവാദ്യങ്ങൾ മുഴക്കി. എന്നാൽ ആ മഹാരണമിൽ സൈന്യം തകർന്നതും വീരന്മാർ ഹതരായതും കണ്ടപ്പോൾ (അവരുടെ മനസ്സ് വിറച്ചു).

Word by Word

• संहतानि: assembled together
• संहतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहत (कृदन्त, सं-हन्/सं-धा धात्वर्थे)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तूर्याणि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तूर्याणि)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तूर्याणि: musical instruments
• तूर्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अवादयन्: caused to be played / played
• अवादयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) + णिच्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक

• भग्नम्: broken, routed
• भग्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त, भञ्ज्-धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बलम्)

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• प्रेक्ष्य: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय), अव्ययभावः; ‘having seen’

• हतवीरम्: whose heroes were slain
• हतवीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त, हन्-धातु) + वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (हता वीरा यस्य तत्)

• महारणे: in the great battle
• महारणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् रणः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Armies gather and sound drums, conches, and horns; immediately the eye meets a devastated field—broken chariots, fallen champions, scattered weapons—casting a shadow over the martial pageantry.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is unstable in war; arrogance collapses quickly when dharma-protected heroes fall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Kaumārikā battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of battlefield events.