Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

बभूव कुंजरो भीमो महाशैलमयाकृतिः । ममर्द च सुरानीकं दंतैश्चाभ्यहनत्सुरान्

Transliteration

babhūva kuṃjaro bhīmo mahāśailamayākṛtiḥ | mamarda ca surānīkaṃ daṃtaiścābhyahanatsurān

Translation

Er wurde zu einem furchterregenden Elefanten, mit einem Körper, als wäre er aus einem großen Berg gemacht. Er zermalmte die Armee der Götter und schlug die Devas mit seinen Stoßzähnen.

Word by Word

• babhūva: became; came to be
• babhūva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• kuṃjaraḥ: elephant
• kuṃjaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• bhīmaḥ: terrible, formidable
• bhīmaḥ: Karta-anvaya (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of kuṃjaraḥ)

• mahā-śaila-maya-ākṛtiḥ: having a form made of a great mountain
• mahā-śaila-maya-ākṛtiḥ: Karta-anvaya (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘महाशैलमयी आकृतिः’ इति; विशेषणम् (of kuṃjaraḥ)

• mamarda: crushed, pounded
• mamarda: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛd (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• surānīkam: the army of the gods
• surānīkam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + anīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘सुराणाम् अनीकम्’

• daṃtaiḥ: with (his) tusks
• daṃtaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• abhyahanat: struck, smote
• abhyahanat: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘abhi-’

• surān: the gods
• surān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal, mountain-bodied elephant-form daitya rampages through a radiant deva host, crushing chariots and scattering warriors; tusks gleam as he strikes, dust and shattered banners fill the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava-king
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked arrogance can assume overpowering forms; dharma is tested when chaos appears massive and unstoppable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is purely narrative of combat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.