Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

गजान्नरांस्तुरंगमान्बभक्षिरे सुनिर्घृणाः । रथोडुपैस्तथा परे तरंति शोणितार्णवम्

Transliteration

gajānnarāṃsturaṃgamānbabhakṣire sunirghṛṇāḥ | rathoḍupaistathā pare taraṃti śoṇitārṇavam

Translation

അവർ കരുണയില്ലാതെ ആനകളെയും മനുഷ്യരെയും കുതിരകളെയും ഭക്ഷിച്ചു. മറ്റുചിലർ രഥങ്ങളെ തോണികളാക്കി രക്തസമുദ്രം കടന്നു।

Word by Word

• गजान्: elephants
• गजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तुरंगमान्: horses
• तुरंगमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरंगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• बभक्षिरे: they devoured
• बभक्षिरे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सुनिर्घृणाः: very merciless
• सुनिर्घृणाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निर्घृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (intensifying ‘very’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘(ते) निशाचराः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• रथोडुपैः: with chariots as boats
• रथोडुपैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + उडुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘रथ एव उडुपः’/‘रथ-रूप-उडुपैः’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार (manner adverb)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अन्ये’ अर्थे

• तरन्ति: cross
• तरन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• शोणितार्णवम्: the ocean of blood
• शोणितार्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘शोणितस्य अर्णवः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Niśācaras devour elephants, men, and horses; a vast red flood like an ocean; overturned chariots repurposed as boats carrying survivors across the blood tide.

Characters & Entities

• Niśācaras (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Graphic imagery warns of the ruin brought by adharma and uncontrolled violence, strengthening the call to righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose Māhātmya this episode is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is metaphorical and descriptive.