Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ततो वायुर्ववौ रूक्षो बहुशर्करपांशुलः । सम्मुखो निमिमातंगोऽकंपनोऽचलकंपनः । स्रुतरक्तो बभौ शैलो घनधातुह्रदो यता

Transliteration

tato vāyurvavau rūkṣo bahuśarkarapāṃśulaḥ | sammukho nimimātaṃgo'kaṃpano'calakaṃpanaḥ | srutarakto babhau śailo ghanadhātuhrado yatā

Translation

मग कणखर वारा सुटला, कंकर व धुळीने भरलेला. समोर निमी—योद्ध्यांतील गज—अकंप, तरी पर्वतांनाही कंपविणारा; रक्तधारा वाहत असल्याने तो घन धातुरेषा व लाल सरोवरांनी रेखाटलेल्या शैलासारखा दिसला।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक

• vāyuḥ: wind
• vāyuḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vavau: blew
• vavau: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rūkṣaḥ: harsh/dry
• rūkṣaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (vāyuḥ)

• bahu-śarkara-pāṃśulaḥ: full of much gravel and dust
• bahu-śarkara-pāṃśulaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + śarkarā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṃśula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (बहुशर्कराभिः पांशुलः = dusty with much gravel/sand)

• sammukhaḥ: facing/frontward
• sammukhaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sammukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• nimi-mātaṅgaḥ: Nimi's elephant
• nimi-mātaṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimi (प्रातिपदिक) + mātaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (nimeḥ mātaṅgaḥ)

• akaṃpanaḥ: unshaken
• akaṃpanaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + kaṃpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषण (unshaking)

• acala-kaṃpanaḥ: one that makes mountains tremble
• acala-kaṃpanaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṃpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारयः (अचलानां कम्पनः / अचल-कम्पनः)

• sruta-raktaḥ: oozing blood
• sruta-raktaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sruta (√sru, धातु; क्त) + rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (śailaḥ)

• babhau: appeared/shone
• babhau: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śailaḥ: a mountain
• śailaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ghana-dhātu-hradaḥ: a lake of dense minerals/ores
• ghana-dhātu-hradaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghana (प्रातिपदिक) + dhātu (प्रातिपदिक) + hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण (śailaḥ); तत्पुरुषः (घनधातुभिः ह्रदः)

• yathā: like/as
• yathā: Upamāna (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (as/like)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gritty windstorm whips gravel and dust across the field; Nimi stands front-facing, immovable, yet his presence seems to shake mountains; blood streams over him like red mineral veins on a dark cliff with ore-rich pools.

Characters & Entities

• Nimi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse praises steadfastness under adversity—remaining unshaken while confronting chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; this is a poetic battlefield description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.