Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

भग्नदंता भिन्नकुंभाश्छिन्नदीर्घमहाकराः । गजाः शैलनिभाः पेतुर्धरण्यां रुधिरस्रवाः

Transliteration

bhagnadaṃtā bhinnakuṃbhāśchinnadīrghamahākarāḥ | gajāḥ śailanibhāḥ peturdharaṇyāṃ rudhirasravāḥ

Translation

പർവ്വതസമാന ആനകൾ—ദന്തങ്ങൾ ഒടിഞ്ഞു, കുംഭസ്ഥലങ്ങൾ പിളർന്ന്, ദീർഘ മഹാകരങ്ങൾ മുറിഞ്ഞു—രക്തം ഒഴുകിച്ചൊരിഞ്ഞ് ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണു.

Word by Word

• भग्नदन्ताः: with broken tusks
• भग्नदन्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (√भञ्ज् धातु, क्त) + दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; बहुव्रीहि (भग्नाः दन्ताः यस्य)

• भिन्नकुम्भाः: with split temples (forehead-bulges)
• भिन्नकुम्भाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (√भिद् धातु, क्त) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; बहुव्रीहि (भिन्नाः कुम्भाः यस्य)

• छिन्नदीर्घमहाकराः: whose long huge trunks were cut off
• छिन्नदीर्घमहाकराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (√छिद् धातु, क्त) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; बहुव्रीहि (छिन्नाः दीर्घाः महान्तः कराः यस्य)

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• शैलनिभाः: mountain-like
• शैलनिभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (शैल इव निभाः = mountain-like)

• पेतुः: fell
• पेतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/परिपूर्णभूत (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural; परस्मैपद

• धरण्याम्: on the earth
• धरण्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• रुधिरस्रवाः: bleeding / blood-flowing
• रुधिरस्रवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; बहुव्रीहि (रुधिरं स्रवति यस्य)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mountain-like elephants collapse onto the earth—tusks snapped, temples split, long trunks severed—blood streaming as the grandeur of war-beasts turns to tragedy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mightiest supports of worldly power—symbolized by mountain-like elephants—are fragile under time and karma, urging a turn toward righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised here; the verse continues a war-description sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a vivid depiction of the battlefield.