Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

हस्त्यश्वरथयानौघैर्मर्दयित्वा वरूथिनीम् । विध्वस्ता भेजिरे मार्गं प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृताः

Transliteration

hastyaśvarathayānaughairmardayitvā varūthinīm | vidhvastā bhejire mārgaṃ prahārairjarjarīkṛtāḥ

Translation

ହାତୀ, ଘୋଡ଼ା, ରଥ ଓ ଯାନବାହନର ପ୍ରବଳ ଧାରାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସେନା ଚାପି ଚୁର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହେଲା; ପ୍ରହାରେ ଜର୍ଜରିତ ହୋଇ ବିଧ୍ୱସ୍ତ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ସେମାନେ ପଥ ଧରି ପଳାଇଲେ।

Word by Word

• हस्ति: elephant
• हस्ति: Karta (Agent) / Karma (Object) within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Karta (Agent) / Karma (Object) within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Karta (Agent) / Karma (Object) within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• यान: vehicle
• यान: Karta (Agent) / Karma (Object) within compound
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• ओघैः: by the multitude/stream (of elephant-, horse-, chariot-, and vehicle-forces)
• ओघैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समासः—हस्ति-अश्व-रथ-यान-ओघ (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः समाहारार्थे)

• मर्दयित्वा: having crushed/trampled
• मर्दयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मर्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः—‘मर्दयित्वा’ = having crushed/trampled

• वरूथिनीम्: the army/battalion
• वरूथिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरूथिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विध्वस्ताः: shattered, routed
• विध्वस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ध्वंस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्तृवाच्ये स्थिताः)

• भेजिरे: they resorted to / took
• भेजिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मार्गम्: the path/way
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रहारैः: by blows/strikes
• प्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• जर्जरीकृताः: smashed to pieces, made shattered
• जर्जरीकृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जर्जरी + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle) of ‘जर्जरीकृ’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield rout: a dense surge of elephants, horses, and chariots plows through a broken army; shattered standards, scattered weapons, dust clouds; defeated troops flee along a road, bodies and armor battered.

Characters & Entities

• Varūthinī (army)
• War forces (elephants, horses, chariots)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When power collapses, refuge is sought not in arms alone but in higher dharma—preparing the turn toward tapas and tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it supports the narrative arc that culminates in the Revā-side Devatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive battle verse.