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

جو لوگ میدانِ جنگ میں دشمن کو مغلوب کرتے ہیں، اُنہیں فتح کی نشانی کے طور پر ستون قائم کرنا چاہیے۔ اس لیے آپ کی جیت کے اعلان کے لیے یہ بہترین فتحی ستون بلند کیا جائے۔

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.