Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

दंशितेन च सिंहेन वृषाः केचिद्विदारिताः । तथैव तारकेणैव घातिता बहवो गणाः

Transliteration

daṃśitena ca siṃhena vṛṣāḥ kecidvidāritāḥ | tathaiva tārakeṇaiva ghātitā bahavo gaṇāḥ

Translation

ദംഷ്ട്രകളാൽ ദംശിച്ച സിംഹം ചില വൃഷഭങ്ങളെ കീറിത്തെറിപ്പിച്ചു; അതുപോലെ തന്നെ താരകൻ അനേകം ഗണങ്ങളെ വധിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• दंशितेन: by/with the biting (one)
• दंशितेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंशित (कृदन्त; √दंश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे रूपसम्भव; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषणम् (past passive participle used adjectivally): 'bitten/biting'

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सिंहेन: by a lion
• सिंहेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृषाः: bulls
• वृषाः: कर्म (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विदारिताः: were torn apart
• विदारिताः: क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विदारित (कृदन्त; √दृ (धातु) + वि- + णिच्? + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); वाक्ये विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (predicate participle): 'were torn'

• तथा: thus
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तारकेण: by Tāraka
• तारकेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• घातिताः: were killed
• घातिताः: क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातित (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु) + घाति/णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विधेय-विशेषणम्: 'were slain'

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गणाः: troops/attendants
• गणाः: कर्म (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A violent battlefield tableau: lions biting and tearing bulls; Śiva’s gaṇas falling amid dust and weapon-flash; the asuric onslaught dominates the frame.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Lion (siṃha)
• Gaṇas
• Bulls (vṛṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the devoted hosts of the divine may face suffering in cosmic struggles, underscoring endurance and the eventual restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa context relates to Kedārakṣetra, but this verse is descriptive of the battle rather than a tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.