Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

प्रचंचलमहाहेमघंटासंहतिमंडिते । ऐरावते चतुर्दंते मत्तमातंग आस्थितः

Transliteration

pracaṃcalamahāhemaghaṃṭāsaṃhatimaṃḍite | airāvate caturdaṃte mattamātaṃga āsthitaḥ

Translation

அசைந்து ஒலிக்கும் பெருஞ்சுவர்ண மணிக்கூட்டங்களால் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட, நான்கு தந்தங்களுடைய மதமயான யானைமன்னன் ஐராவதத்தின் மேல் அவர் ஏறியிருந்தார்।

Word by Word

• pracañcala: very unsteady/moving
• pracañcala: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra- + cañcala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (adjectival)

• mahā: great
• mahā: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa

• hema: gold
• hema: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; samānādhikaraṇa in compound-sense

• ghaṇṭā: bell
• ghaṇṭā: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṇṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana (compound-resolved)

• saṃhati: collection/cluster
• saṃhati: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃhati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana (compound-resolved)

• maṇḍite: adorned
• maṇḍite: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maṇḍita (कृदन्त; √maṇḍ (मण्ड्) + kta)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; bhūtakṛdanta (past participle), viśeṣaṇa

• airāvate: on Airāvata (Indra’s elephant)
• airāvate: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: airāvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana

• caturdante: four-tusked
• caturdante: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + danta (प्रातिपदिक; समास-रूप)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa; catur-danta = ‘having four tusks’

• matta: intoxicated
• matta: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: matta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa

• mātaṅgaḥ: elephant
• mātaṅgaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• āsthitaḥ: mounted/sat upon
• āsthitaḥ: Karta (predicate of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√sthā (स्था) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; bhūtakṛdanta (past participle) used predicatively

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra mounted on Airāvata, the four-tusked elephant, its harness and body adorned with swaying clusters of large golden bells; the bells catch light and ring as the elephant moves.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Indra (implied by Airāvata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights divine majesty and preparedness in defending cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on divine procession imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.