Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनीकं दशसाहस्रं कूर्मपृष्ठस्य निर्ययौ । अयुते द्वे रथानां तु नागानामयुतं तथा

Transliteration

anīkaṃ daśasāhasraṃ kūrmapṛṣṭhasya niryayau | ayute dve rathānāṃ tu nāgānāmayutaṃ tathā

Translation

کُورمپرِشٹھ سے دس ہزار کا ایک دستہ نکلا۔ رتھوں کی تعداد بیس ہزار تھی، اور ہاتھی بھی دس ہزار اسی طرح روانہ ہوئے۔

Word by Word

• अनीकम्: army, troop
• अनीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• दशसाहस्रम्: ten-thousand (in number)
• दशसाहस्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg; numeral adjective)

• कूर्मपृष्ठस्य: of the tortoise-back (Kūrma’s back)
• कूर्मपृष्ठस्य: Apadana/Source (from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• निर्ययौ: went out, emerged
• निर्ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• अयुते: in two ten-thousands (i.e., twenty-thousand)
• अयुते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (locative dual)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (feminine nom/acc dual)

• रथानाम्: of chariots
• रथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• नागानाम्: of elephants
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• अयुतम्: a ten-thousand
• अयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular; numeral)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūrmapṛṣṭha (toponym in narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a place called Kūrmapṛṣṭha, a ten-thousand-strong division pours out; the scene widens to reveal twenty thousand chariots and ten thousand elephants—an overwhelming panorama of war matériel.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrmapṛṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere magnitude of forces does not decide victory; in Purāṇic dharma, righteousness and divine grace outweigh numbers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Dvārakā; Kūrmapṛṣṭha appears as a named locality within the narrative geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse enumerates troops and conveyances.