Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनीकं दशसाहस्रं कूर्मपृष्ठस्य निर्ययौ । अयुते द्वे रथानां तु नागानामयुतं तथा

Transliteration

anīkaṃ daśasāhasraṃ kūrmapṛṣṭhasya niryayau | ayute dve rathānāṃ tu nāgānāmayutaṃ tathā

Translation

കൂർമപൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പത്തായിരം പേരുള്ള ഒരു അണീകം പുറപ്പെട്ടു; രഥങ്ങൾ ഇരുപതിനായിരവും, ഗജങ്ങൾ പത്തായിരവും കൂടെ നീങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• अनीकम्: army, troop
• अनीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• दशसाहस्रम्: ten-thousand (in number)
• दशसाहस्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg; numeral adjective)

• कूर्मपृष्ठस्य: of the tortoise-back (Kūrma’s back)
• कूर्मपृष्ठस्य: Apadana/Source (from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• निर्ययौ: went out, emerged
• निर्ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• अयुते: in two ten-thousands (i.e., twenty-thousand)
• अयुते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (locative dual)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (feminine nom/acc dual)

• रथानाम्: of chariots
• रथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• नागानाम्: of elephants
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• अयुतम्: a ten-thousand
• अयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular; numeral)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūrmapṛṣṭha (toponym in narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a place called Kūrmapṛṣṭha, a ten-thousand-strong division pours out; the scene widens to reveal twenty thousand chariots and ten thousand elephants—an overwhelming panorama of war matériel.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrmapṛṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere magnitude of forces does not decide victory; in Purāṇic dharma, righteousness and divine grace outweigh numbers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Dvārakā; Kūrmapṛṣṭha appears as a named locality within the narrative geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse enumerates troops and conveyances.