Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गजास्यविवरेणैव विवेशोदरगह्वरम् । तस्मिन्प्रविष्टमात्रे तु वृष्टिरासीत्सुभूयसी

Transliteration

gajāsyavivareṇaiva viveśodaragahvaram | tasminpraviṣṭamātre tu vṛṣṭirāsītsubhūyasī

Translation

Par la seule ouverture de la bouche de l’éléphant, il pénétra dans la caverne creuse de son ventre. Mais à peine y fut-il entré que la pluie redoubla d’intensité.

Word by Word

• gaja-āsya-vivareṇa: through the opening of the elephant’s mouth
• gaja-āsya-vivareṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + āsya (प्रातिपदिक) + vivara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘गजस्य आस्यस्य विवरम्’)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• viveśa: entered
• viveśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• udara-gahvaram: the hollow of the belly
• udara-gahvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udara (प्रातिपदिक) + gahvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘उदरस्य गह्वरम्’ = belly-cavity)

• tasmin: in that (place)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• praviṣṭa-mātre: as soon as (he) entered
• praviṣṭa-mātre: Kriya-viseshana (Time/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-viś (धातु) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘प्रविष्टस्य मात्रे’ = just upon entering); सति-सप्तमी-भाव

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• vṛṣṭiḥ: rain
• vṛṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• su-bhūyasī: much more (intense)
• su-bhūyasī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + bhūyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘भूयस्’ (comparative: more) with intensifier ‘सु’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The traveler slips through the elephant’s open mouth into the dark hollow of its belly; outside, rain intensifies into a roaring curtain.

Characters & Entities

• Duṣpaṇya (implied)
• gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin narrows one’s choices until even impure shelters seem preferable; yet suffering can still intensify until true atonement is sought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu-kṣetra/Rāmeśvaram) narrative stream, though it does not directly praise a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.