Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12
Devanagari script
गजैस्तुरंगैः पादातैः पतद्भिः पतितैरपि । आकाशशिरसो भ्रष्टैः पंकजैरिव भूश्चिता
Transliteration
gajaisturaṃgaiḥ pādātaiḥ patadbhiḥ patitairapi | ākāśaśiraso bhraṣṭaiḥ paṃkajairiva bhūścitā
Translation
ହାତୀ, ଘୋଡ଼ା ଓ ପାଦାତ—କେହି ପଡ଼ୁଥିବା, କେହି ପଡ଼ିଥିବା—ସେମାନେ ଭୂମିକୁ ଏମିତି ଛାଇଦେଲେ, ଯେନ ଆକାଶଶିରରୁ ଝରିପଡ଼ା ପଦ୍ମରେ ଧରା ଆବୃତ।
Word by Word
गजैःwith elephants
गजैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootगज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
तुरङ्गैःwith horses
तुरङ्गैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
पादातैःwith foot-soldiers
पादातैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपादात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
पतद्भिःwith those falling
पतद्भिः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeVerb
Root√पत् (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), तृतीया बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural; पुं/नपुंसक-सामान्य; ‘falling’
पतितैःwith the fallen
पतितैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeVerb
Root√पत् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), तृतीया बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural; ‘fallen’
अपिalso/even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)
आकाशशिरसःfrom the top of the sky
आकाशशिरसः:
Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootआकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आकाशस्य शिरः = sky as head/top)
भ्रष्टैःfallen/dropped
भ्रष्टैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeVerb
Root√भ्रंश् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), तृतीया बहुवचन — Instrumental Plural; ‘fallen down/dropped’
पङ्कजैःwith lotuses
पङ्कजैः:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
इवlike
इव:
Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमान-अव्यय (comparison particle)
भूःthe earth
भूः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular
चितāwas heaped/covered
चितā:
Kriya (State/क्रिया-फल)
TypeVerb
Root√चि (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; ‘piled/covered’ (agreeing with भूः)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
FAQs
It underscores the impermanence of embodied power—armies and might collapse in a moment, while the Purāṇa frames such scenes as a reminder to seek dharma beyond pride.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a battlefield tableau within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa narrative.
None in this verse; it is descriptive (yuddha-varṇana) rather than prescriptive (vrata/dāna/snānā).