Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

आज्ञां कुशस्य ते लब्ध्वा दैत्याः पंचजनादयः । युद्धायाभिमुखाः सर्वे रथैर्नागैश्च निर्ययुः

Transliteration

ājñāṃ kuśasya te labdhvā daityāḥ paṃcajanādayaḥ | yuddhāyābhimukhāḥ sarve rathairnāgaiśca niryayuḥ

Translation

领受库沙之令后，诸阿修罗——以潘恰迦那为首——尽皆面向战场出发，乘战车、驱战象而行。

Word by Word

• ājñām: command, order
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kuśasya: of Kuśa
• kuśasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• labdhvā: having obtained/received
• labdhvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: labh (लभ्) धातु
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• daityāḥ: the Daityas
• daityāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• paṃcajanādayaḥ: Pañcajanas and others
• paṃcajanādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcajana (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पञ्चजनाः आदयः येषां ते), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; daityāḥ इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• yuddhāya: for battle
• yuddhāya: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• abhimukhāḥ: facing toward, ready/turned toward
• abhimukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi (उपसर्ग) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (daityāḥ)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (daityāḥ)

• rathaiḥ: with chariots
• rathaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• nagaiḥ: with elephants
• nagaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• niryayuḥ: went forth, marched out
• niryayuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + yā (या) धातु
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Daityas led by Pañcajana surge out in formation—chariots rolling, elephants caparisoned, standards raised—faces set toward battle as dust rises along the road to the sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Pañcajana
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to unrighteous leadership can mobilize great force, but power without dharma becomes destructive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the Mahātmya context; the verse sits within its sacred narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of the Daitya army’s departure for war.