Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इंद्रो हि गजमारूढो मृगारूढः सदागतिः । यमो महिषमारूढो यमदंडसमन्वितः

Transliteration

iṃdro hi gajamārūḍho mṛgārūḍhaḥ sadāgatiḥ | yamo mahiṣamārūḍho yamadaṃḍasamanvitaḥ

Translation

Indra, mounted upon his elephant; Vāyu, ever in motion, mounted upon a deer; and Yama, mounted upon a buffalo and bearing the staff of punishment—all stood ready.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis)

• गजमारूढः: mounted on an elephant
• गजमारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज-आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘आरूढ’; विशेषणम्

• मृगारूढः: mounted on a deer
• मृगारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग-आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘आरूढ’; विशेषणम्

• सदागतिः: ever-moving/always in motion
• सदागतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा-गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महिषमारूढः: mounted on a buffalo
• महिषमारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिष-आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘आरूढ’; विशेषणम्

• यमदण्डसमन्वितः: accompanied by Yama’s staff
• यमदण्डसमन्वितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम-दण्ड-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘समन्वित’; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra astride his elephant, Vāyu on a deer, and Yama on a buffalo holding his staff—deities poised for action in a charged, sacred battlefield.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Air-god Vāyu (implied by sadāgatiḥ)
• Yama
• elephant
• deer
• buffalo
• Yama-daṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest devas, with their powers and insignia, become participants in dharma’s unfolding when Śiva’s will manifests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; the Kedārakhaṇḍa context frames the Shaiva sacred narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.