Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

चतुर्दंष्ट्रैर्गंधवद्भिश्चर्भिर्मेघसन्निभैः । शतहस्तायते कृष्णे तुरंगे हेमभूषणे

Transliteration

caturdaṃṣṭrairgaṃdhavadbhiścarbhirmeghasannibhaiḥ | śatahastāyate kṛṣṇe turaṃge hemabhūṣaṇe

Translation

നാലുദന്തങ്ങളുള്ള, സുഗന്ധമുള്ള, മേഘസദൃശമായ ജീവികളോടുകൂടെ, അവൻ ശതഹസ്തദൈർഘ്യമുള്ള കറുത്ത, സ്വർണാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച കുതിരമേൽ ആരൂഢനായി.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दंष्ट्रैः: with four-tusked (ones)
• चतुर्दंष्ट्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: चतुर्- + दंष्ट्रा-)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चतस्रः दंष्ट्राः यस्य/चतुर्दंष्ट्र-), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (चर्भिः)

• गन्धवद्भिः: fragrant, having scent
• गन्धवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (चर्भिः)

• चर्भिः: (with) boars
• चर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्भि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मेघसन्निभैः: cloud-like
• मेघसन्निभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: मेघ- + सन्निभ-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मेघस्य सन्निभः/मेघसन्निभ-), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (चर्भिः)

• शतहस्तायते: in/ on the hundred-hand-long (i.e., very long)
• शतहस्तायते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + हस्त + आयत (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: शत- + हस्त- + आयत-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शतहस्त-परिमाणम् आयतम्/शतहस्तायत-), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तुरङ्गे)

• कृष्णे: black
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तुरङ्गे)

• तुरङ्गे: on the horse
• तुरङ्गे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हेमभूषणे: gold-adorned
• हेमभूषणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: हेम- + भूषण-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमस्य भूषणम्/हेमभूषण-), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तुरङ्गे)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal black horse, impossibly long (‘hundred-hands’), gleaming with golden ornaments. Around/with it are four-tusked, fragrant, cloud-dark creatures—suggesting elephantine or boar-like mythic beasts—forming a terrifying yet majestic mount ensemble.

Characters & Entities

• Turaṅga (horse/steed)
• Four-tusked beasts (catur-daṁṣṭra)
• Hema (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa highlights that imposing scale and golden adornment can accompany unrighteous power—true auspiciousness is rooted in dharma, not display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; it is descriptive martial imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.