Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सुरासुराणां संमर्दे तस्मिन्परमदारुणे । तुमुलं सुमहत्क्रांते सेनयोरुभयोरपि

Transliteration

surāsurāṇāṃ saṃmarde tasminparamadāruṇe | tumulaṃ sumahatkrāṃte senayorubhayorapi

Translation

神々とアスラの最も凄惨な激突において、両軍が大いなる勢いで進撃すると、戦場は広大な轟きと激しい混乱に満ちた。

Word by Word

• sura-asurāṇām: of gods and demons
• sura-asurāṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (‘सुराश्च असुराश्च’)

• saṃmarde: in the melee; in the clash
• saṃmarde: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃmarda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• parama-dāruṇe: most dreadful
• parama-dāruṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; ‘तस्मिन् (संमर्दे)’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• tumulam: tumultuous
• tumulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tumula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘(युद्धम्/संमर्दः)’ इत्यादेः विशेषण (elliptic)

• su-mahat-krānte: in a very great onslaught/advance
• su-mahat-krānte: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + krānta (kram (धातु) + kta)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘(संमर्दे)’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• senayoḥ: of the two armies
• senayoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: senā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• ubhayayoḥ: of both
• ubhayayoḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘सेनयोः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha-dyotaka (Particle/सम्बन्धद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense crush of devas and asuras surges forward; overlapping shields, weapons, and bodies create a near-abstract mass; dust clouds billow; the scene feels claustrophobic and thunderous.

Characters & Entities

• Sura
• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic conflict is portrayed as part of dharma’s larger ordering, where pride and hostility culminate in turmoil and consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative battle-setting within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive rather than ritual-instructional.