Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ कल्पयामास चतुरंगां वरूथिनीम् । पताकाच्छत्रशबलां वादित्रारावभूषिताम्

Transliteration

tato'sau kalpayāmāsa caturaṃgāṃ varūthinīm | patākācchatraśabalāṃ vāditrārāvabhūṣitām

Translation

Rồi ông bày đặt một đạo quân tứ binh—rực rỡ cờ xí và lọng che, trang nghiêm bởi tiếng trống và nhạc khí vang rền.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adverbial (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनुक्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kalpayāmāsa: caused to be prepared; prepared
• kalpayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kḷp (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• catur-aṃgām: fourfold (army)
• catur-aṃgām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘चत्वारि अङ्गानि यस्याः’ (सेनायाः)

• varūthinīm: the army/host
• varūthinīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varūthinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• patākā-chatra-śabalām: variegated with banners and umbrellas
• patākā-chatra-śabalām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patākā (प्रातिपदिक) + chatra (प्रातिपदिक) + śabala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘पताकाभिः छत्रैः च शबला’

• vāditra-ārāva-bhūṣitām: adorned with the roar of musical instruments
• vāditra-ārāva-bhūṣitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāditra (प्रातिपदिक) + ārāva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhūṣ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘वादित्राणां आरावैः भूषिता’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice, contextually Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commander arranges a caturaṅga-bala: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots; the camp is bright with banners and parasols; drums and instruments thunder as the host forms ranks.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda-parvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer splendor—noise, banners, and display—does not equal inner righteousness; dharma is measured by conduct, not spectacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing episode is situated at Arbuda-parvata, a sanctified landscape in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the mustering of forces.