Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरंदरं गजस्थं हि अपातया भूतले । हाहाकारो महानासीत्पतिते च पुरंदरे

Transliteration

puraṃdaraṃ gajasthaṃ hi apātayā bhūtale | hāhākāro mahānāsītpatite ca puraṃdare

Translation

En verdad arrojó a Purandara (Indra), sentado sobre su elefante, a la tierra; y al caer Purandara, se alzó un gran clamor de espanto.

Word by Word

• puraṃdaram: Purandara (Indra)
• puraṃdaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puraṃdara (पुरंदर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य नाम

• gaja-stham: mounted on the elephant
• gaja-stham: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaja + stha (गज + स्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (गजे स्थितः)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• apātayat: caused to fall, felled
• apātayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa + pat (पत् धातु) (णिच् causative implied)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; णिजन्तार्थ (causative sense: caused to fall)

• bhūtale: on the ground
• bhūtale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (भू + तल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूः तले)

• hāhākāraḥ: a great cry of 'hā hā'
• hāhākāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāhākāra (हाहाकार प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• mahān: great
• mahān: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (महत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण

• āsīt: was, arose
• āsīt: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• patite: when (he) had fallen
• patite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (पत् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• puraṃdare: in/when Purandara (Indra)
• puraṃdare: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puraṃdara (पुरंदर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, thrown from his elephant, lies on the ground as devas and attendants cry out; the battlefield pauses in collective shock, dust rising around the fallen king.

Characters & Entities

• Purandara (Indra)
• Elephant (Airāvata implied)
• Tāraka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly sovereignty is fragile; even the king of gods can be brought low, underscoring impermanence and the need for dharmic refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the Kedāra Khaṇḍa context frames the chapter but this verse is event-focused.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.