Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स हतो मुद्गरेणाथ शक्रकुञ्जर आहवे । जगाम पश्चात्पद्भ्यां च पृथिवीं भूधराकृतिः

Transliteration

sa hato mudgareṇātha śakrakuñjara āhave | jagāma paścātpadbhyāṃ ca pṛthivīṃ bhūdharākṛtiḥ

Translation

Vom Streitkolben im Kampf getroffen, taumelte Indras Elefant; Schritt um Schritt wich das bergleibige Tier zurück und sank zur Erde nieder.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हतः: struck/defeated
• हतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• मुद्गरेण: by/with a hammer
• मुद्गरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक)

• शक्रकुञ्जरः: Indra’s elephant
• शक्रकुञ्जरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कुञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शक्रस्य कुञ्जरः)

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: backwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशा/कालवाचक; ‘backwards/after’)

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• पृथिवीम्: to the earth/ground
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भूधराकृतिः: (one) of mountain-like form
• भूधराकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूधर (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (भूधरस्य आकृतिः यस्य/या) — ‘mountain-like in form’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Airāvata, struck hard, reels and steps backward, each step heavier than the last, until the colossal, mountain-like body sinks down onto the earth amid dust and silence.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty can be shaken; power without steadiness is vulnerable before determined effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is the unfolding of the conflict.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive narration of battle.