Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

रणकर्कशतूर्याणि डिंडिमान्यद्भुतानि च । गोमुखाः खरश्रृंगाणि काहलान्येव भूरिशः

Transliteration

raṇakarkaśatūryāṇi ḍiṃḍimānyadbhutāni ca | gomukhāḥ kharaśrṛṃgāṇi kāhalānyeva bhūriśaḥ

Translation

യുദ്ധത്തിന്റെ കർക്കശ തൂര്യനാദങ്ങൾ മുഴങ്ങി—അത്ഭുതമായ ഡിണ്ഡിമങ്ങൾ, ഗോമുഖശൃംഗങ്ങൾ, ഗർദഭശൃംഗങ്ങൾ, കൂടാതെ അനേകം കാഹലങ്ങളും മുഴങ്ങിത്തുടങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• रणकर्कशतूर्याणि: battle-harsh trumpets/instruments
• रणकर्कशतूर्याणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्कश (प्रातिपदिक) + तूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रणे कर्कशानि तूर्याणि)

• डिंडिमानि: kettledrums
• डिंडिमानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: डिंडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन

• अद्भुतानि: marvelous
• अद्भुतानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (वाद्यानाम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गोमुखाः: gomukha-horns (cow-faced horns)
• गोमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (गोमुखा इव/गोमुख-आकाराः)

• खरश्रृंगाणि: donkey-horns (horns of a donkey)
• खरश्रृंगाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (खरस्य शृंगाणि)

• काहलानि: kāhala-trumpets
• काहलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भूरिशः: in abundance, profusely
• भूरिशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; बहुवचनार्थे प्रायः (indeclinable-like adverbial use)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A demonic assembly resounds with harsh war-instruments—ḍiṇḍima drums, gomukha horns, kāhala trumpets—creating a thunderous pre-battle soundscape.

Characters & Entities

• Tūrya
• Ḍiṃḍima
• Gomukha
• Kāhala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa paints adharma’s march with sensory intensity, preparing the listener for the divine restoration of balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.