Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्पराङ्मुखे दैत्ये महिषे शुंभदानवः । संदष्टौष्ठपुटाटोपो भृकुटीकुटिलाननः

Transliteration

tasminparāṅmukhe daitye mahiṣe śuṃbhadānavaḥ | saṃdaṣṭauṣṭhapuṭāṭopo bhṛkuṭīkuṭilānanaḥ

Translation

ആ ദൈത്യനായ മഹിഷൻ പിൻതിരിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ശുംഭ ദാനവൻ ക്രോധത്തിൽ അധരം കടിച്ചു, ഭ്രൂകുടി ചുരുട്ടി, മുഖം വക്രമാക്കി രോഷത്തിൽ ജ്വലിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• tasmin: in/when that (one)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• parāṅmukhe: turned away
• parāṅmukhe: Adhikarana (Locus qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parāṅmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• daitye: in the Daitya (demon)
• daitye: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• mahiṣe: in the buffalo(-demon)
• mahiṣe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; (apposition to daitye)

• śuṃbha-dānavaḥ: Śumbha, the demon
• śuṃbha-dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (शुंभः एव दानवः)

• saṃdaṣṭa-oṣṭha-puṭa-āṭopaḥ: with clenched lips (in haughty display)
• saṃdaṣṭa-oṣṭha-puṭa-āṭopaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃdaṣṭa (saṃ+√daś धातु; क्त) + oṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + āṭopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (संदष्टौष्ठपुटः आटोपः यस्य = one whose lip-fold is clenched in arrogance/effort)

• bhṛkuṭī-kuṭila-ānanaḥ: with a face twisted by a frown
• bhṛkuṭī-kuṭila-ānanaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhṛkuṭī (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṭila (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (भृकुट्या कुटिलम् आननं यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta) describing emotions in battle

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahīṣa turns away in retreat; behind him Śuṃbha stands rigid, biting his lip, brows knotted, face twisted—anger visibly coiling, foreshadowing renewed conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣa
• Śuṃbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked anger and pride distort discernment; the Purāṇas portray such traits as marks of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a battlefield characterization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.