Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ससैन्यान्पांडवानेतान्हन्यात्कालेन केन कः । मासेन तु प्रतिज्ञातं भीष्मेण च कृपेण च

Transliteration

sasainyānpāṃḍavānetānhanyātkālena kena kaḥ | māsena tu pratijñātaṃ bhīṣmeṇa ca kṛpeṇa ca

Translation

“Ai sẽ giết được các Pāṇḍava này cùng toàn quân của họ—và trong thời gian bao lâu?” Bởi Bhīṣma và Kṛpa đã thề hẹn rằng: “chỉ trong một tháng”.

Word by Word

• ससैन्यान्: together with (their) armies
• ससैन्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural); बहुव्रीहिः—सैन्येन सह वर्तन्ते ये (with their armies)

• पाण्डवान्: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• हन्यात्: should kill
• हन्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• कालेन: by (what) time / within time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• केन: by which?
• केन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• मासेन: within a month / by a month
• मासेन: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेष/विरोधबोधक अव्यय (indeed/but)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: was promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular); ‘was promised’

• भीष्मेण: by Bhīṣma
• भीष्मेण: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• कृपेण: by Kṛpa
• कृपेण: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Duryodhana (question framed within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Duryodhana, troubled, questions who can kill the Pāṇḍavas with their armies and in what time; Bhīṣma and Kṛpa are shown as elder warriors who have pledged a month; the mood is ominous, with shadowed tents and anxious faces.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍava
• Bhīṣma
• Kṛpa
• Duryodhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boasts and deadlines in violent aims reveal attachment to victory; dharma warns that outcomes are not mastered by mere pledges.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is about war strategy and promises.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it mentions a martial ‘pratijñā’ (pledge), not a religious vrata.