Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तावभिप्रायमालक्ष्य संत्यज्य समरांगणम् । पदाती वेपमानांगौ प्रद्रुतौ वासवोयतः

Transliteration

tāvabhiprāyamālakṣya saṃtyajya samarāṃgaṇam | padātī vepamānāṃgau pradrutau vāsavoyataḥ

Translation

ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଅଭିପ୍ରାୟ ଜାଣି ସେମାନେ ରଣଭୂମି ତ୍ୟାଗ କଲେ; ଅଙ୍ଗପ୍ରତ୍ୟଙ୍ଗ କମ୍ପିତ ହୋଇ, ପଦାତି ହୋଇ, ଯେଉଁ ଦିଗକୁ ବାସବ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ଗଲେ ସେଇ ଦିଗକୁ ପଳାଇଗଲେ।

Word by Word

• tau: those two
• tau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• abhiprāyam: intention
• abhiprāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhiprāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ālakṣya: having perceived
• ālakṣya: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lakṣ (धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समकक्ष (absolutive/gerund), ‘having noticed/observed’

• saṃtyajya: having left
• saṃtyajya: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु) + sam (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• samarāṅgaṇam: battlefield
• samarāṅgaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘समरस्य अङ्गणम्’)

• padātī: the foot-soldier/infantry
• padātī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (समूहवाचक/जातिवाचक: ‘infantryman/foot-soldier’)

• vepamānāṅgau: whose limbs were trembling
• vepamānāṅgau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vepamāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vip/vep ‘to tremble’) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (‘वेपमानानि अङ्गानि यस्य/ययोः’)

• pradrutau: fled/ran away
• pradrutau: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + drutá (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dru ‘to run’)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘having fled/ran off’

• vāsavāt: from Vāsava (Indra)
• vāsavāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• yataḥ: from where/whence
• yataḥ: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/हेतु-अव्यय (relative indeclinable: 'from where/whence')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Aśvins, reading the enemy’s intent, turn away from the arena; their bodies tremble, chariots lost, now running on foot through dust toward Indra’s position.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsava (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When danger overwhelms, pride collapses; recognizing reality and seeking safety becomes the immediate dharmic instinct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions within a wider Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative rather than a localized māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive battlefield narration.