Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कोटिशःकोटिशः गृत्वा वृंदं चिह्नोपलक्षितम् । विश्रावयंतः स्वां कीर्तिं बंदिवृन्दैः पुरः सरैः

Transliteration

koṭiśaḥkoṭiśaḥ gṛtvā vṛṃdaṃ cihnopalakṣitam | viśrāvayaṃtaḥ svāṃ kīrtiṃ baṃdivṛndaiḥ puraḥ saraiḥ

Translation

அவர்கள் கோடிக்கணக்காகக் கூடி, தனித்த அடையாளங்களால் அறியப்படும் படைக்குழுக்களாக அமைந்தனர்; முன்னே சென்ற பண்டி-கூட்டங்கள் அவர்களின் புகழை எங்கும் பரப்பிக் கூறின.

Word by Word

• koṭiśaḥ: by crores, in crores
• koṭiśaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + śas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial), śas-pratyayānta; repetition for emphasis

• koṭiśaḥ: in crores
• koṭiśaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: koṭi + śas
• Form: Avyaya (repeated)

• gṛtvā: having taken/assembled
• gṛtvā: Kriyā (Gerund; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह्) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvānta), pūrvakāla-kriyā (having done)

• vṛndam: a multitude/group
• vṛndam: Karman
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛnda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• cihna: mark/sign
• cihna: Sambandha (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cihna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, (compound-member)

• upalakṣitam: distinguished/identified
• upalakṣitam: Karman (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√lakṣ (लक्ष्) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; bhūtakṛdanta; viśeṣaṇa of vṛndam

• viśrāvayantaḥ: proclaiming/making heard
• viśrāvayantaḥ: Karta (doers)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√śru (श्रु) + ṇic (णिच् causative) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; causative sense ‘making heard’

• svām: their own
• svām: Karman (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of kīrtim

• kīrtim: fame
• kīrtim: Karman
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• bandivṛndaiḥ: by groups of bards
• bandivṛndaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandi + vṛnda (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napumsaka (collective), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; karaṇa ‘by/with bards-groups’

• puraḥ: in front
• puraḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puraḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb) meaning ‘in front’

• saraiḥ: with attendants/retinue
• saraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; karaṇa/saṅga ‘with followers/attendants’ (contextual)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Countless companies in crores, each marked by distinctive emblems and banners, advance in ordered ranks; in front, bands of herald-bards (bandi-vṛnda) proclaim their glory, amplifying fame across the quarters.

Characters & Entities

• Bards/Heralds (Bandis)
• Divine troops (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Order, unity, and righteous renown accompany the defense of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None mentioned; the verse describes an army’s organized advance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.