Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
यथा निशा विना चन्द्रं दिवसो भास्करं विना । न शोभते मुहूर्तं वै तथा सेना विनायका
Transliteration
yathā niśā vinā candraṃ divaso bhāskaraṃ vinā | na śobhate muhūrtaṃ vai tathā senā vināyakā
Translation
正如无月之夜、无日之昼，片刻也不显光辉；同样，没有统帅的军队也决不能兴盛。
Word by Word
यथाjust as
यथा:
Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)
निशाnight
निशा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
विनाwithout
विना:
Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविना (अव्यय)
Formवियोगार्थक-अव्यय; उपपद-विभक्ति: द्वितीया (takes accusative)
चन्द्रम्the moon
चन्द्रम्:
Karma (Object of ‘विना’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
दिवसःday
दिवसः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
भास्करम्the sun
भास्करम्:
Karma (Object of ‘विना’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
विनाwithout
विना:
Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविना (अव्यय)
Formवियोगार्थक-अव्यय; उपपद-विभक्ति: द्वितीया
नnot
न:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
शोभतेshines/looks beautiful
शोभते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√शुभ् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
मुहूर्तम्even for a moment
मुहूर्तम्:
Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-न्यायेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण कालावधि (for a moment)
वैindeed
वै:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
तथाso/likewise
तथा:
Upamana-correlative (Comparison/अन्वय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formतुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (correlative: so/likewise)
सेनाarmy
सेना:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसेना (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
विनायकाwithout a leader
विनायका:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; वि + नायक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सेना इति); अर्थः ‘नायक-रहिता’ (leaderless)
Speaker
Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating)
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A symbolic composition: night sky dim without the moon, day muted without the sun; juxtaposed with an army in disarray lacking a commander—an allegory for leadership as illumination.
Characters & Entities
M
moon (Candra)S
sun (Bhāskara)FAQs
Right leadership (nāyaka/senāpati) is essential for harmony and success, just as celestial lights are essential for the beauty of time.
None; the verse uses a metaphor within the Skanda-origin narrative.
None.