Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शतक्र तुस्तु शूलेन निमिं वक्षस्यताडयत् । गदया दंतिनं तस्य गल्लदेशेहनद्भृशम्

Transliteration

śatakra tustu śūlena nimiṃ vakṣasyatāḍayat | gadayā daṃtinaṃ tasya galladeśehanadbhṛśam

Translation

Mais Śatakratu (Indra) frappa Nimi à la poitrine d’un javelot; puis, d’une massue, il asséna un coup violent à cet éléphant sur la région de la joue.

Word by Word

• शतक्रः: Śatakra (Indra)
• शतक्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इन्द्रः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात)

• स्तु: indeed/for his part
• स्तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; ‘स्तु’ = ‘खलु/तु’ इत्यर्थे)

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• निमिम्: Nimi
• निमिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वक्षसि: on the chest
• वक्षसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अताडयत्: struck
• अताडयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + तड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• दन्तिनम्: the tusked one/elephant
• दन्तिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• गल्लदेशे: on the cheek-region
• गल्लदेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गल्लस्य देशः)

• अहनत्: struck/smote
• अहनत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भृशम्: violently/excessively
• भृशम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra lunges with a spear into Nimi’s chest; in the same breath he swings a mace, smashing the elephant’s cheek—two simultaneous blows amid chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Nimi
• Elephant (of Nimi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s protectors do not abandon effort; when threatened, they act decisively to restrain destructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.