Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55
Devanagari script
गन्धेन सुरमातंगा दुद्रुवुस्तस्य हस्तिनः । पलायितेषु सैन्येषु सुराणां पाकशासनः
Transliteration
gandhena suramātaṃgā dudruvustasya hastinaḥ | palāyiteṣu sainyeṣu surāṇāṃ pākaśāsanaḥ
Translation
By the smell alone, the elephants of the gods fled from that elephant. And as the armies of the Devas scattered in flight, Indra—the chastiser of Pāka—stood exposed to the crisis.
Word by Word
गन्धेनby the smell/scent
गन्धेन:
Hetu/Kāraṇa (हेतु/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन
सुरमातंगाःthe gods' elephants
सुरमातंगाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसुर + मातंग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां मातंगाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन
दुद्रुवुःran away
दुद्रुवुः:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootद्रु (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
तस्यof that; of him
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular)
हस्तिनःof the elephant
हस्तिनः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootहस्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular)
पलायितेषुwhen (they) had fled
पलायितेषु:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपलायित (कृदन्त; √पलाय्)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (plural), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सामान्य; सप्तमी-absolute भावः
सैन्येषुin the armies
सैन्येषु:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन
सुराणाम्of the gods
सुराणाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootसुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन
पाकशासनःPākaśāsana (Indra)
पाकशासनः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपाक + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाकस्य शासनः = 'chastiser of Pāka' i.e., Indra), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Divine elephants recoil and bolt merely from the scent of Nimi’s elephant; deva ranks break; Indra (Pākaśāsana) stands amid scattering troops, momentarily isolated, his posture tense as crisis closes in.
Characters & Entities
I
Indra (Pākaśāsana)D
DevasW
War elephant of Nimi (implied)FAQs
Worldly power (armies, mounts, strength) can collapse instantly; leadership is tested when supports flee.
No site is glorified in this verse.
None.