Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तस्थौ दिक्पालकैः सार्धमष्टभिः केशवेन च । संप्राप्तस्तस्य मातंगो यावच्छक्रगजं प्रति

Transliteration

tasthau dikpālakaiḥ sārdhamaṣṭabhiḥ keśavena ca | saṃprāptastasya mātaṃgo yāvacchakragajaṃ prati

Translation

He stood with the eight Guardians of the Directions and with Keśava. That Mātaṅga elephant advanced toward Indra’s elephant.

Word by Word

• तस्थौ: stood; remained
• तस्थौ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• दिक्पालकैः: with the guardians of the directions
• दिक्पालकैः: Sahakāraka (सह/सहचर)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + पालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिशां पालकाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/with)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverb), सहार्थक (together with)

• अष्टभिः: with the eight
• अष्टभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (plural), विशेषण (of दिक्पालकैः)

• केशवेन: with Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवेन: Sahakāraka (सह/सहचर)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• संप्राप्तः: having arrived; arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप्त (कृदन्त; √आप्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-प्रयोगे 'arrived' (agreeing with मातंगः)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मातंगः: the elephant
• मातंगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यावत्: up to; as far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधिवाचक (up to/as far as)

• शक्रगजम्: Indra's elephant (Airāvata)
• शक्रगजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शक्रस्य गजः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition/postposition), अभिमुख्यार्थक (towards)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra stands firm with the eight Dikpālas forming a protective arc, and Keśava beside them; in the distance Nimi’s elephant advances toward Airāvata, compressing space before the imminent collision of two great elephants.

Characters & Entities

• Dikpālas
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Indra’s elephant (Airāvata, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When chaos rises, cosmic order gathers its protectors—directional guardians and the sustaining divinity (Keśava) stand together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.