Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

शिबिकाश्च विचित्रा वै रथाश्चैव सहस्रशः । सर्वत्र दह्यमानं च दृष्ट्वा राजापि विव्यथे

Transliteration

śibikāśca vicitrā vai rathāścaiva sahasraśaḥ | sarvatra dahyamānaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā rājāpi vivyathe

Translation

เสลี่ยงอันวิจิตรและรถศึกนับพันก็ลุกไหม้ไปด้วย เมื่อทอดพระเนตรเห็นเปลวเพลิงทั่วทุกแห่ง แม้พระราชาก็สะท้านด้วยทุกข์และความหวาดหวั่น

Word by Word

• śibikāḥ: palanquins
• śibikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śibikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• vicitrāḥ: variegated, wonderful
• vicitrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Bahuvacana (Pl.); viśeṣaṇa of śibikāḥ/rathāḥ

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), emphasis/assurance

• rathāḥ: chariots
• rathāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Bahuvacana (Pl.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• eva: just, indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (restrictive particle/अवधारण)

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousand(s)
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय; from sahasra)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial distributive/प्रकारवाचक), meaning 'by thousands'

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

• dahyamānam: being burnt
• dahyamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dah (धातु) + śyānac/śānac (शानच्)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present passive participle/कर्मणि वर्तमान कृदन्त), Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā vibhakti (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana (Sg.); agrees with implied 'sarvam' (all)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ktvānta/क्त्वान्त अव्यय), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Ekavacana (Sg.)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), concessive/additive

• vivyathe: was distressed, trembled
• vivyathe: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vyath (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (Sg.), Parasmaipada; intensive/reduplication vi- + vyath

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal camp or city street filled with ornate palanquins and countless chariots engulfed in flames; the king stands stunned, face strained with fear, surrounded by smoke and sparks.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority cannot shield one from the moral order; when dharma is violated, even kings experience helplessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the overarching sacred setting; the verse itself highlights the dramatic event.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.