Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

जयंति ये रणे शत्रूंस्तैः कार्यः स्तंभचिह्नकः । तस्मात्तव जयोद्द्योतनिमित्तं स्तंममुत्तमम्

Transliteration

jayaṃti ye raṇe śatrūṃstaiḥ kāryaḥ staṃbhacihnakaḥ | tasmāttava jayoddyotanimittaṃ staṃmamuttamam

Translation

ผู้ใดมีชัยเหนือศัตรูในสนามรบ ผู้นั้นพึงตั้งเสาเป็นเครื่องหมายแห่งชัยชนะ ดังนั้นเพื่อประกาศชัยของพระองค์ ขอให้ยก “เสาชัย” อันประเสริฐนี้ขึ้น

Word by Word

• jayanti: conquer; are victorious
• jayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; relative pronoun

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• śatrūn: enemies
• śatrūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• taiḥ: by them; for them
• taiḥ: Kartr̥-sambandha (Agent-associated/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• kāryaḥ: should be made
• kāryaḥ: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + ya (कृत्; यत्/णीय)
• Form: कृदन्त (णीयत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'to be made'

• stambha-cihnakaḥ: a pillar-sign (marker)
• stambha-cihnakaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stambha (प्रातिपदिक) + cihnaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्तम्भस्य चिह्नकः (a marker/sign in the form of a pillar)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Logical connector/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-तसिल्)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• jaya-uddyotanimittam: a cause/sign for the manifestation of victory
• jaya-uddyotanimittam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaya (प्रातिपदिक) + uddyotana (प्रातिपदिक; from ud-√dyut 'द्युत्') + nimitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: जयस्य उद्द्योतनस्य निमित्तम् (cause for proclaiming victory)

• stambham: pillar
• stambham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent; best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; adjective

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narrator) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśa (associated victory-sthambha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience (implied).

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tall, newly raised victory-pillar near the shrine; artisans and devas oversee; Skanda’s triumph is symbolically proclaimed; banners flutter; the pillar bears auspicious emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Śatrū (enemies)
• Stambha (victory pillar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Victory is to be consecrated through a dharmic public act—raising a sacred marker that turns worldly triumph into a remembered, sanctified event.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage prepares for the consecration of the Stambheśvara shrine/locale (the ‘Lord of the Pillar’) within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is the establishment of a stambha (victory pillar) as a formal sign of victory.