Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अनेकाकारविन्यासादन्येषां च ध्वजा भवन् । शतेन शीघ्रवेगानां व्याघ्राणां हेममालिनाम्

Transliteration

anekākāravinyāsādanyeṣāṃ ca dhvajā bhavan | śatena śīghravegānāṃ vyāghrāṇāṃ hemamālinām

Translation

ବହୁ ଆକାରର ବିନ୍ୟାସରେ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ଧ୍ୱଜମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲେ—ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣମାଳାରେ ଶୋଭିତ, ଶୀଘ୍ରବେଗୀ ଶତେକ ବ୍ୟାଘ୍ର ଦ୍ୱାରା ଟାଣାଯାଉଥିବା।

Word by Word

• aneka-ākāra-vinyāsāt: from the arrangement of many forms
• aneka-ākāra-vinyāsāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vinyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बहूनाम् आकाराणाम् विन्यासः)

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dhvajāḥ: banners
• dhvajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• bhavan: were/became
• bhavan: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू सत्तायाम्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; पाठानुसारं 'bhavan' = 'abhavan' (अग्रहण-लोपः/सन्धि-लेखन)

• śatena: with a hundred
• śatena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• śīghra-vega-ānām: of swift-speeded
• śīghra-vega-ānām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक) + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शीघ्रः वेगः येषाम्)

• vyāghrāṇām: of tigers
• vyāghrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• hema-mālinām: garlanded with gold
• hema-mālinām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + mālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमस्य माला येषाम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping panorama: countless banners with varied emblems; in the foreground a chariot or standard-platform drawn by a hundred lightning-fast tigers, each wearing a golden garland, their stripes and gold flashing as they surge forward.

Characters & Entities

• Dhvaja (banners)
• Vyāghra (tigers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Multiplicity of forms and outward grandeur can be marshalled for unrighteous aims; dharma is judged by intent and alignment with cosmic order, not spectacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.