Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ कल्पयामास चतुरंगां वरूथिनीम् । पताकाच्छत्रशबलां वादित्रारावभूषिताम्

Transliteration

tato'sau kalpayāmāsa caturaṃgāṃ varūthinīm | patākācchatraśabalāṃ vāditrārāvabhūṣitām

Translation

แล้วเขาจัดกองทัพจตุรงคเสนาให้พร้อม—พร่างด้วยธงและฉัตร และงามด้วยเสียงกลองและสรรพดนตรีกึกก้อง

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adverbial (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनुक्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kalpayāmāsa: caused to be prepared; prepared
• kalpayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kḷp (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• catur-aṃgām: fourfold (army)
• catur-aṃgām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘चत्वारि अङ्गानि यस्याः’ (सेनायाः)

• varūthinīm: the army/host
• varūthinīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varūthinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• patākā-chatra-śabalām: variegated with banners and umbrellas
• patākā-chatra-śabalām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patākā (प्रातिपदिक) + chatra (प्रातिपदिक) + śabala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘पताकाभिः छत्रैः च शबला’

• vāditra-ārāva-bhūṣitām: adorned with the roar of musical instruments
• vāditra-ārāva-bhūṣitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāditra (प्रातिपदिक) + ārāva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhūṣ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘वादित्राणां आरावैः भूषिता’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, contextually Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commander arranges a caturaṅga-bala: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots; the camp is bright with banners and parasols; drums and instruments thunder as the host forms ranks.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda-parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer splendor—noise, banners, and display—does not equal inner righteousness; dharma is measured by conduct, not spectacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing episode is situated at Arbuda-parvata, a sanctified landscape in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the mustering of forces.