Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

निःपपात रथाज्जंभो वसुधां गतचेतनः । जंभं निपतितं दृष्ट्वा कुजंभो घोरनिश्चयः

Transliteration

niḥpapāta rathājjaṃbho vasudhāṃ gatacetanaḥ | jaṃbhaṃ nipatitaṃ dṛṣṭvā kujaṃbho ghoraniścayaḥ

Translation

जंभ रथावरून कोसळून पृथ्वीवर निश्चेष्ट झाला. जंभ पडलेला पाहून घोर निश्चयाचा कुजंभ कृतीस उद्यत झाला.

Word by Word

• niḥpapāta: fell down
• niḥpapāta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); उपसर्गः: निः-

• rathāt: from the chariot
• rathāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचनम्

• jaṃbhaḥ: Jambha
• jaṃbhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• vasudhām: the earth/ground
• vasudhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasudhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• gatacetanaḥ: unconscious; having lost consciousness
• gatacetanaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (गम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + cetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘गता चेतना यस्य’), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• jaṃbham: Jambha (as object)
• jaṃbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• nipatitam: fallen
• nipatitam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pat (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘जंभम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Hetu/पूर्वकर्म (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• kujaṃbhaḥ: Kujambha
• kujaṃbhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kujaṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• ghoraniścayaḥ: of terrible resolve
• ghoraniścayaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक) + niścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (‘घोरः निश्चयः’), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘कुजंभः’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A daitya-warrior (Jaṃbha) tumbles from a chariot onto dusty earth, limbs slack; nearby Kujaṃbha stands tense, eyes blazing, preparing retaliation amid scattered weapons and churned battlefield ground.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṃbha
• Kujaṃbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prideful might is fragile; when it collapses, allied forces often harden into further resolve—yet dharma ultimately prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.