Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
यथा निशा विना चन्द्रं दिवसो भास्करं विना । न शोभते मुहूर्तं वै तथा सेना विनायका
Transliteration
yathā niśā vinā candraṃ divaso bhāskaraṃ vinā | na śobhate muhūrtaṃ vai tathā senā vināyakā
Translation
جیسے چاند کے بغیر رات اور سورج کے بغیر دن ایک لمحہ بھی روشن نہیں ہوتے، ویسے ہی سالار کے بغیر لشکر کی کوئی شان نہیں رہتی۔
Word by Word
यथाjust as
यथा:
Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)
निशाnight
निशा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
विनाwithout
विना:
Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविना (अव्यय)
Formवियोगार्थक-अव्यय; उपपद-विभक्ति: द्वितीया (takes accusative)
चन्द्रम्the moon
चन्द्रम्:
Karma (Object of ‘विना’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
दिवसःday
दिवसः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
भास्करम्the sun
भास्करम्:
Karma (Object of ‘विना’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
विनाwithout
विना:
Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविना (अव्यय)
Formवियोगार्थक-अव्यय; उपपद-विभक्ति: द्वितीया
नnot
न:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
शोभतेshines/looks beautiful
शोभते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√शुभ् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
मुहूर्तम्even for a moment
मुहूर्तम्:
Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-न्यायेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण कालावधि (for a moment)
वैindeed
वै:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
तथाso/likewise
तथा:
Upamana-correlative (Comparison/अन्वय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formतुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (correlative: so/likewise)
सेनाarmy
सेना:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसेना (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
विनायकाwithout a leader
विनायका:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; वि + नायक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सेना इति); अर्थः ‘नायक-रहिता’ (leaderless)
Speaker
Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating)
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A symbolic composition: night sky dim without the moon, day muted without the sun; juxtaposed with an army in disarray lacking a commander—an allegory for leadership as illumination.
Characters & Entities
M
moon (Candra)S
sun (Bhāskara)FAQs
Right leadership (nāyaka/senāpati) is essential for harmony and success, just as celestial lights are essential for the beauty of time.
None; the verse uses a metaphor within the Skanda-origin narrative.
None.