Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

नानाविधायुधान्यत्र धनुर्ज्याप्रभृतीनि च । अनुव्रजंति काकुत्स्थं सर्वे पुरुष विग्रहाः

Transliteration

nānāvidhāyudhānyatra dhanurjyāprabhṛtīni ca | anuvrajaṃti kākutsthaṃ sarve puruṣa vigrahāḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ധനുസ്സും ജ്യയും മുതലായ നാനാവിധ ആയുധങ്ങൾ പുരുഷരൂപം ധരിച്ചു കാകുത്സ്ഥനെ അനുഗമിച്ചു; എല്ലാം ദേഹധാരികളായി അദ്ദേഹത്തോടൊപ്പം നടന്നു.

Word by Word

• नाना-विध-आयुधानि: various kinds of weapons
• नाना-विध-आयुधानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘नानाविधानि आयुधानि’ (weapons of various kinds)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘अत्र’ (here)

• धनुः-ज्या-प्रभृतीनि: bows, bowstrings, and the like
• धनुः-ज्या-प्रभृतीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्या (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व/समाहारद्वन्द्व — ‘धनूंषि च ज्याश्च’ इत्यादीनि (bows, bowstrings, etc.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• अनुव्रजन्ति: follow
• अनुव्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• काकुत्स्थम्: Kākutstha (Rāma)
• काकुत्स्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकुत्स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; रामस्य उपाधि

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पुरुष-विग्रहाः: embodied persons
• पुरुष-विग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पुरुषाणां विग्रहाः’ / ‘पुरुषाकाराः’ (embodied persons/person-forms)

Speaker

Narrator (within Ayodhyāmāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supernatural escort of weapon-deities: bows, bowstrings, and varied arms appear as radiant person-forms, marching behind Rāma like a living arsenal.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Kākutstha)
• Dhanus (bow)
• Jyā (bowstring)
• Āyudha (weapons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the dhārmic ruler, power is subordinated to righteousness; even instruments of force are portrayed as serving sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, where Rāma’s royal-divine procession is described with mythic grandeur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, using personification to show the cosmic honor accorded to Rāma.