Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गन्धेन सुरमातंगा दुद्रुवुस्तस्य हस्तिनः । पलायितेषु सैन्येषु सुराणां पाकशासनः

Transliteration

gandhena suramātaṃgā dudruvustasya hastinaḥ | palāyiteṣu sainyeṣu surāṇāṃ pākaśāsanaḥ

Translation

ആ ആനയുടെ ഗന്ധം മാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ദേവന്മാരുടെ മാതംഗങ്ങൾ ഓടിപ്പോയി. ദേവസൈന്യങ്ങൾ പലയിടത്തായി പിരിഞ്ഞോടുമ്പോൾ, പാകശാസകനായ ഇന്ദ്രൻ പ്രതിസന്ധിയിൽ വെളിവായി നിന്നു।

Word by Word

• गन्धेन: by the smell/scent
• गन्धेन: Hetu/Kāraṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सुरमातंगाः: the gods' elephants
• सुरमातंगाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + मातंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां मातंगाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• दुद्रुवुः: ran away
• दुद्रुवुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• हस्तिनः: of the elephant
• हस्तिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular)

• पलायितेषु: when (they) had fled
• पलायितेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायित (कृदन्त; √पलाय्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (plural), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सामान्य; सप्तमी-absolute भावः

• सैन्येषु: in the armies
• सैन्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• पाकशासनः: Pākaśāsana (Indra)
• पाकशासनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाकस्य शासनः = 'chastiser of Pāka' i.e., Indra), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine elephants recoil and bolt merely from the scent of Nimi’s elephant; deva ranks break; Indra (Pākaśāsana) stands amid scattering troops, momentarily isolated, his posture tense as crisis closes in.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Pākaśāsana)
• Devas
• War elephant of Nimi (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power (armies, mounts, strength) can collapse instantly; leadership is tested when supports flee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.