Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ततः कुवलयापीडं गजं द्वारि स्थितं क्षणात् । निहत्य रामकृष्णौ तौ महाबलपराक्रमौ

Transliteration

tataḥ kuvalayāpīḍaṃ gajaṃ dvāri sthitaṃ kṣaṇāt | nihatya rāmakṛṣṇau tau mahābalaparākramau

Translation

Daraufhin erschlugen Rāma und Kṛṣṇa, groß an Kraft und Heldenmut, in einem Augenblick Kuvalayāpīḍa, den Elefanten, der am Tor stand.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereafter)

• kuvalayāpīḍam: Kuvalayāpīḍa (the elephant)
• kuvalayāpīḍam: Karma (Object of nihatya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuvalaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āpīḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: कुवलयस्य आपीडः (Kuvalayāpīḍa—name of the elephant)

• gajam: elephant
• gajam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; apposition to kuvalayāpīḍam

• dvāri: at the gate
• dvāri: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (dvāri = at the gate)

• sthitam: standing
• sthitam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गजम् विशेषयति

• kṣaṇāt: in a moment
• kṣaṇāt: Apādāna/Time (Ablative of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (within a moment)

• nihatya: having slain
• nihatya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√han (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: नि+हन्; अर्थे: निहत्य (having slain)

• rāmakṛṣṇau: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa
• rāmakṛṣṇau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (Rāma and Kṛṣṇa)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject, apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahābalaparākramau: of great strength and valor
• mahābalaparākramau: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + parākrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय: महत् बलं च पराक्रमश्च यस्य (very strong and valiant)

Speaker

Deductive (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā-dvāra/raṅga-mārga (līlā-sthala)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the massive gate, the furious royal elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa charges; Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, unshaken, strike and bring it down instantly.

Characters & Entities

• Balarāma (Rāma)
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kuvalayāpīḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected when oppressive power is confronted and neutralized without hesitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a tīrtha-focused verse; it narrates events in Mathurā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.