Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अश्वानां दशसाहस्रं वागुराणां त्वनेकधा । पत्तयो यांतु सर्वत्र वेष्टयंतु गिरिंवरम्

Transliteration

aśvānāṃ daśasāhasraṃ vāgurāṇāṃ tvanekadhā | pattayo yāṃtu sarvatra veṣṭayaṃtu giriṃvaram

Translation

“పది వేల మంది అశ్వారోహులు, అనేక రకాల వలలతో, అన్ని దిక్కులకూ వెళ్లాలి; పాదసైన్యం ఆ శ్రేష్ఠ పర్వతాన్ని చుట్టుముట్టాలి.”

Word by Word

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• अश्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• दशसाहस्रम्: ten thousand
• दशसाहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (ten-thousand)

• वागुराणाम्: of nets/snares
• वागुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वागुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner: 'in many ways')

• पत्तयः: foot-soldiers
• पत्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• यान्तु: let them go
• यान्तु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वेष्टयन्तु: let them surround
• वेष्टयन्तु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गिरिम्: the mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• वरम्: excellent, best
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; 'गिरिम्' इति विशेषण

Speaker

King Bhoja (within Śiva’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast force of ten thousand horsemen deploys; foot-soldiers spread out to encircle the mountain; nets of various kinds are carried, creating a tense, hunt-like perimeter in a sacred forest.

Characters & Entities

• King Bhoja
• Infantry
• Mountain

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power should be exercised with control and order; the narrative soon stresses protection rather than harm, aligning force with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “excellent mountain” is the immediate setting in the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra legend, within the broader Prabhāsa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is logistical instruction.