Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

शस्त्रैर्विच्छिन्नदेहा ये गवार्थे स्वामिकारणात् । रणे मृताः क्षता ये वै ते यांति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

śastrairvicchinnadehā ye gavārthe svāmikāraṇāt | raṇe mṛtāḥ kṣatā ye vai te yāṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

ผู้ที่ร่างกายถูกอาวุธตัดขาด ผู้ที่ตายในสนามรบทั้งบาดเจ็บ เพื่อคุ้มครองโค หรือด้วยเหตุแห่งเจ้านายของตน—ย่อมบรรลุคติอันสูงสุดอย่างแท้จริง

Word by Word

• शस्त्रैः: by weapons
• शस्त्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural

• विच्छिन्नदेहाः: whose bodies are cut apart
• विच्छिन्नदेहाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + छिद् (धातु) + विच्छिन्न (कृदन्त) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘विच्छिन्न’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विच्छिन्नः देहः येषां ते)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• गवार्थे: for the sake of cows
• गवार्थे: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवाम् अर्थः)

• स्वामिकारणात्: because of (their) master’s cause/for their master
• स्वामिकारणात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामि + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वामिनः कारणम्)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• क्षताः: wounded
• क्षताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) √क्षद्/क्षत् (wounded)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चयार्थक (indeed)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन — they go

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (विशेषण)

• गतिम्: destination
• गतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Raiders threaten a herd; a warrior interposes himself, wounded yet resolute; cows cluster behind him; above, a Śiva-aura or celestial light receives his departing soul, signifying highest gati.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cows)
• Svāmī (lord/master)
• Raṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of cows and faithful defense of one’s rightful lord are treated as dharmic causes; sacrifice in such battle is praised as spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the focus is on dharma-based causes for battle within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a phala statement about dharmic sacrifice.