Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा राजजनं सर्वं राज्यं शून्यं भयाकुलम् । क्रोधाध्मातमनास्तूर्णं प्रविश्य रिपुवाहिनीम् । आकर्णाकृष्टकोदंडो ववर्ष शरसंततीः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā rājajanaṃ sarvaṃ rājyaṃ śūnyaṃ bhayākulam | krodhādhmātamanāstūrṇaṃ praviśya ripuvāhinīm | ākarṇākṛṣṭakodaṃḍo vavarṣa śarasaṃtatīḥ

Translation

ครั้นเห็นหมู่ชนของพระราชาและแผ่นดินว่างเปล่า สั่นสะท้านด้วยความกลัว ใจเขาพองด้วยโทสะ จึงรีบพุ่งเข้าสู่กองทัพศัตรู; ชักคันศรจนถึงหู แล้วโปรยสายฝนแห่งลูกศรอย่างไม่ขาดสาย

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive (having seen)

• राजजनम्: the king’s people/royal retinue
• राजजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राजजनम्) — masc. acc. sg.

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शून्यम्: empty
• शून्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राज्यम्) — neuter acc. sg.

• भयाकुलम्: agitated with fear
• भयाकुलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भयेन आकुलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राज्यम्) — neuter acc. sg.

• क्रोधाध्मातमनाः: one whose mind was inflamed with anger
• क्रोधाध्मातमनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + आध्मात (आ√ध्मा धातु, क्त) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्ता) — masc. nom. sg.; ‘whose mind is swollen with anger’

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive (having entered)

• रिपुवाहिनीम्: the enemy army
• रिपुवाहिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रिपूणां वाहिनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — fem. acc. sg.

• आकर्णाकृष्टकोदण्डः: with bow drawn to the ear
• आकर्णाकृष्टकोदण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकर्ण (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + आकृष्ट (आ√कृष् धातु, क्त) + कोदण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्ता) — masc. nom. sg.; ‘whose bow (ko-daṇḍa) is drawn up to the ear’

• ववर्ष: rained down (showered)
• ववर्ष: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् — Perfect, 3rd sg.

• शर-संततीः: streams/volleys of arrows
• शर-संततीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक) + संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शराणां संततिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — fem. acc. pl.

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The prince surveys a deserted, terrified city—gates ajar, streets empty—then storms into the enemy ranks; he draws the bow to the ear and releases a continuous stream of arrows like rain, cutting through banners and armor.

Characters & Entities

• Rājaputra (implied prince)
• Ripu-vāhinī (enemy army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When fear and disorder prevail, righteous courage (śaurya) becomes an instrument of dharma to protect society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a narrative of dharmic defense rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is martial response aligned with royal duty.