Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

तथा भीमाशनिकराः कृष्णवस्त्रा महारथाः । यक्षास्तत्र व्यदृश्यंत मणिभद्रादिकोटिशः

Transliteration

tathā bhīmāśanikarāḥ kṛṣṇavastrā mahārathāḥ | yakṣāstatra vyadṛśyaṃta maṇibhadrādikoṭiśaḥ

Translation

彼处亦见夜叉众——执可怖雷霆之兵，身披黑衣，皆为大车战士——其数以亿计，自摩尼跋陀罗等为首。

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Discourse adverb (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक

• भीमाशनिकराः: with dreadful thunderbolt-like weapons
• भीमाशनिकराः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम-अशनिकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (भीमः अशनिकरः = terrible thunderbolt/weapon-cluster)

• कृष्णवस्त्राः: wearing black garments
• कृष्णवस्त्राः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण-वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णं वस्त्रं येषाम्)

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् रथः/रथी)

• यक्षाः: yakṣas
• यक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen/appeared
• व्यदृश्यन्त: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive sense)

• मणिभद्रादिकोटिशः: in crores, beginning with Maṇibhadra
• मणिभद्रादिकोटिशः: Quantifier (परिमाण/संख्या)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मणिभद्र-आदि-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (कोटिशः = by crores, in crores; मणिभद्र-आदि = beginning with Maṇibhadra)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Crores of Yakṣas appear—black-clad, formidable chariot-warriors, brandishing dreadful thunderbolt-like weapons; Maṇibhadra stands prominent as a leader figure amid a dark, glittering host.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣas
• Maṇibhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even semi-divine guardian beings (Yakṣas) are mobilized for dharma—suggesting that protection of right order spans all realms and classes of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.