Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

मृतं शुष्कं महाकायं गजमेकमपश्यत । महावातं महावर्षं तदा सोढुमशक्नुवन्

Transliteration

mṛtaṃ śuṣkaṃ mahākāyaṃ gajamekamapaśyata | mahāvātaṃ mahāvarṣaṃ tadā soḍhumaśaknuvan

Translation

เขาเห็นช้างร่างมหึมาตัวหนึ่ง นอนตายแห้งกรังอยู่ ครั้นทนลมพายุใหญ่และฝนหนักไม่ไหวในเวลานั้น เขาจึงแสวงหาที่พึ่งพิง

Word by Word

• mṛtam: dead
• mṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śuṣkam: dry
• śuṣkam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahā-kāyam: huge-bodied
• mahā-kāyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महान् कायः यस्य/यत्’) विशेषण

• gajam: elephant
• gajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ekam: one
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• apaśyata: saw
• apaśyata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paśy / dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahā-vātam: great wind
• mahā-vātam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महान् वातः’)

• mahā-varṣam: heavy rain
• mahā-varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महद् वर्षम्’)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kriya-viseshana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• soḍhum: to endure
• soḍhum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sah (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), अव्यय; धातु—सह् (to endure)

• aśaknuvan: was not able
• aśaknuvan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे—अ (negation)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A massive dried elephant carcass lies in the rain; the traveler stands beside it, battered by wind, eyes scanning for any shelter.

Characters & Entities

• Duṣpaṇya (implied)
• gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is lost, one may be driven to degrading refuges; adharma reduces discernment and dignity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; the episode remains within the Setukhaṇḍa’s Setu-kṣetra narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.