Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

महारूढा दंशिताश्च करालास्ते प्रहारिणः । तै राहृता गणाः सर्वे सिंहैश्च वृषभा हताः

Transliteration

mahārūḍhā daṃśitāśca karālāste prahāriṇaḥ | tai rāhṛtā gaṇāḥ sarve siṃhaiśca vṛṣabhā hatāḥ

Translation

Hoch aufgesessen und furchterregend — mit Hauern und grimmigem Antlitz — griffen jene mächtigen Schläger an. Durch sie wurden alle Gaṇas gepackt und fortgeschleift, und die Stiere wurden von Löwen getötet.

Word by Word

• महारूढाः: highly mounted
• महारूढाः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; महा + √रुह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः: 'greatly mounted/ascended'

• दंशिताः: biting/bitten
• दंशिताः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंशित (कृदन्त; √दंश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषणम्: 'biting/bitten'

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• करालाः: fierce/terrible
• करालाः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रहारिणः: attackers
• प्रहारिणः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; प्र + √हृ/√हन्? + इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun): 'strikers/attackers'

• तैः: by them
• तैः: करण (Instrument/Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• राहृताः: were carried off
• राहृताः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राहृत (कृदन्त; √हृ (धातु) + आ- + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'were carried off/removed'

• गणाः: troops/attendants
• गणाः: कर्म (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सिंहैः: by lions
• सिंहैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृषभाः: bulls
• वृषभाः: कर्म (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हताः: were killed
• हताः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हत (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'were slain'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ferocious mounted attackers—tusked, grim—charge; gaṇas are dragged away; lions kill bulls; the scene is crowded, kinetic, and brutal.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Siṃha (lions)
• Vṛṣabha (bulls)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine attendants can face reversals in battle; dharma’s victory unfolds through divinely appointed purpose rather than mere force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region in the Himalayas), though this verse itself is a battlefield description rather than a direct tīrtha-phala passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative action describing the defeat and capture of the Gaṇas.