Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कोटिकोटिसहस्रैस्तु परार्धैर्दशभिः शतैः । सेनापतिः कालनेमिः शीघ्रं देवानुपाययौ

Transliteration

koṭikoṭisahasraistu parārdhairdaśabhiḥ śataiḥ | senāpatiḥ kālanemiḥ śīghraṃ devānupāyayau

Translation

Với đạo quân đông đến vô số—hàng crores chồng crores, ngàn ngàn lớp lớp—tướng soái Kālanemi mau chóng tiến thẳng về phía chư thiên.

Word by Word

• कोटिकोटिसहस्रैः: with crores of crores and thousands
• कोटिकोटिसहस्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-कोटि-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्यावाचकसमूह), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; परिमाण/सङ्ख्या-निर्देश

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• परार्धैः: with parārdhas (a vast number)
• परार्धैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परार्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्या-परिमाण

• दशभिः: by ten
• दशभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (शतैः)

• शतैः: with hundreds
• शतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्या-परिमाण

• सेनापतिः: the commander (general)
• सेनापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कालनेमिः: Kālanemi
• कालनेमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालनेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (proper noun)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• उपाययौ: approached/went near
• उपाययौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per section convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, dark-armored asura host stretches beyond sight; banners whip like storm-clouds; at the front rides the commander Kālanemi, driving the army swiftly toward the devas’ quarter.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Devas
• Daitya army (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sheer numbers and force are not the measure of dharma; Purāṇic battles teach that righteousness, not magnitude, decides outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.