Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

अश्वाश्चैवाप्यकल्माषा वायुवेगाः सुवर्चसः । अंगत्राणसमायुक्ताः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः

Transliteration

aśvāścaivāpyakalmāṣā vāyuvegāḥ suvarcasaḥ | aṃgatrāṇasamāyuktāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ

Translation

குதிரைகளும்—களங்கமற்றவை, காற்றின் வேகமென ஓடுபவை, ஒளிவீசுபவை—உடல்-கவசம் அணிந்தவை; நூற்றுக்கணக்காகவும் பின்னர் ஆயிரக்கணக்காகவும் இருந்தன।

Word by Word

• aśvāḥ: horses
• aśvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• api: also
• api: Connector/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (also)

• akalmāṣāḥ: spotless
• akalmāṣāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + kalmāṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ ‘निर्मलाः’

• vāyu-vegāḥ: swift as the wind
• vāyu-vegāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक) + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘वायोः वेग इव वेगः’

• suvarcasaḥ: radiant, splendid
• suvarcasaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपपद) + varcas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘aśvāḥ’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• aṃga-trāṇa-samāyuktāḥ: fitted with body-armor
• aṃga-trāṇa-samāyuktāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + samāyukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (धातु) + सम्-आ- उपसर्गौ + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘अङ्गत्राणेन समायुक्ताः’

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Adverbial (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (‘by hundreds’)

• atha: then; and
• atha: Connector/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गवाचक (then/and)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Adverbial (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (‘by thousands’)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, contextually Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hundreds and thousands of spotless, radiant horses, armored with protective gear, surge in ordered lines; sunlight flashes on bridles and mail; dust trails behind.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda-parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speed and strength are transient assets; without dharma, they become instruments of downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode continues within the Arbuda-parvata sacred setting, though this verse focuses on the army’s scale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a martial description.