Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तया विनिहतः शक्रो मूर्छाव्याकुलितेंद्रियः । ध्वजयष्टिं समाश्रित्य निविष्टो गजमूर्द्धनि

Transliteration

tayā vinihataḥ śakro mūrchāvyākuliteṃdriyaḥ | dhvajayaṣṭiṃ samāśritya niviṣṭo gajamūrddhani

Translation

അതിന്റെ പ്രഹരത്തിൽ ശക്രൻ മൂർച്ചയാൽ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ കലങ്ങി വീണു; ധ്വജദണ്ഡം പിടിച്ചു ആനയുടെ തലയിൽ ഇരുന്നുവു।

Word by Word

• तया: by her/it (by that mace)
• तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विनिहतः: struck down; slain
• विनिहतः: Kriyā-phala (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि-नि-; विशेषण (शक्रः)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्छा-व्याकुलित-इन्द्रियः: whose senses were disturbed by fainting
• मूर्छा-व्याकुलित-इन्द्रियः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्छा + व्याकुलित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शक्रः); तत्पुरुष-समास (मूर्छया व्याकुलितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

• ध्वजयष्टिम्: flagstaff; banner-pole
• ध्वजयष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज + यष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ध्वजस्य यष्टिः)

• समाश्रित्य: having leaned on; having taken refuge in
• समाश्रित्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-; अर्थः ‘आश्रयम् कृत्वा’ (having taken refuge/leaned on)

• निविष्टः: sat; settled
• निविष्टः: Kriyā (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि-; (seated/settled)

• गजमूर्द्धनि: on the elephant’s head
• गजमूर्द्धनि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गजस्य मूर्धा)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and assembled ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, struck and dazed, slumps on Airāvata’s head, clutching the flagstaff; his face shows confusion and fading consciousness; attendants panic.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Gaja (elephant)
• Dhvaja (banner/flagstaff)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest gods can be shaken; dharma is upheld not by pride in status but by timely support, discipline, and divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, as part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame; this verse itself is battlefield description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.