Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

रौद्रात्मानो महायोधाः सहस्राक्षौहिणीमुखाः । सिंहस्कन्धा महाकाया दुरात्मानो महाबलाः

Transliteration

raudrātmāno mahāyodhāḥ sahasrākṣauhiṇīmukhāḥ | siṃhaskandhā mahākāyā durātmāno mahābalāḥ

Translation

അവർ രൗദ്രസ്വഭാവമുള്ള മഹായോദ്ധാക്കൾ, സഹസ്ര അക്ഷൗഹിണികളുടെ നായകർ. സിംഹസ്കന്ധർ, മഹാകായർ, ദുഷ്ടചിത്തരായിട്ടും മഹാബലവാന്മാർ—ഭയങ്കരർ.

Word by Word

• रौद्रात्मानः: of fierce nature
• रौद्रात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• महायोधाः: great warriors
• महायोधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सहस्राक्षौहिणीमुखाः: leaders of a thousand akṣauhiṇīs
• सहस्राक्षौहिणीमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + अक्षौहिणी + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः; (अक्षौहिणी-सम्बन्धि) मुखाः

• सिंहस्कन्धाः: lion-shouldered
• सिंहस्कन्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह + स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• महाकायाः: huge-bodied
• महाकायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• दुरात्मानः: evil-souled
• दुरात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• महाबलाः: very strong
• महाबलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of gigantic, lion-shouldered warlords leading countless divisions; their faces fierce, eyes blazing, yet their aura is morally dark—strength paired with wicked intent.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya warriors
• Akṣauhiṇī (army unit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Strength without righteousness becomes a terror to the worlds; dharma evaluates power by its inner disposition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose māhātmya situates even cosmic battles within the sanctity of sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.