Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नानादेशान्समाक्रम्य चतुरंगबलान्वितः । भूतानि वशमानीय वसु जग्राह दण्डतः

Transliteration

nānādeśānsamākramya caturaṃgabalānvitaḥ | bhūtāni vaśamānīya vasu jagrāha daṇḍataḥ

Translation

他率四部军旅，征行诸国；使对抗者归于制伏，并以王法之刑威（合法的王权强制）收取财货。

Word by Word

• नानादेशान्: various countries/regions
• नानादेशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + देश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (नाना देशाः)

• समाक्रम्य: having overrun
• समाक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु) + सम्-आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having overrun/attacked'

• चतुरंगबलान्वितः: endowed with a fourfold army
• चतुरंगबलान्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + अङ्ग + बल + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—'चतुरङ्गं बलं येन अन्वितः' (having fourfold army)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वशम्: into subjection
• वशम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष-उपपद (वशं नयति)

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (Gerund), 'having brought'

• वसु: wealth, treasure
• वसु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जग्राह: seized, took
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दण्डतः: by force, coercively
• दण्डतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'by force/through punishment'

Speaker

Agastya (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand military march: elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry (caturaṅga-bala) moving across varied landscapes; the king at the forefront, capturing rebels and collecting tribute as lawful penalty.

Characters & Entities

• Raghu (implied)
• caturaṅga-bala (fourfold army)
• daṇḍa (royal authority)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rājadharma includes enforcing order (daṇḍa) to restrain disruptive forces, when exercised within righteous governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; it forms the narrative foundation for the Ayodhyā-region legend that follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes royal action (caturaṅga-bala and daṇḍa) as part of the legend’s background.