Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

किंकिणीमालिनं चोष्ट्रमारूढोऽभूच्च जंभकः । कालमुंचं महामेघमारूढः शुम्भदानवः

Transliteration

kiṃkiṇīmālinaṃ coṣṭramārūḍho'bhūcca jaṃbhakaḥ | kālamuṃcaṃ mahāmeghamārūḍhaḥ śumbhadānavaḥ

Translation

ชัมภกะก็ปรากฏกาย ขึ้นขี่อูฐที่ห้อยพวงกระดิ่งกังวาน และทานวะศุมภะก็ก้าวหน้า ขึ้นขี่เมฆมหึมาราวกับพรั่งพรูกาลแห่งความพินาศ

Word by Word

• किंकिणीमालिनम्: a bell-garlanded (one)
• किंकिणीमालिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किंकिणी + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: किंकिणी- + मालिन्-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (किंकिणीनां मालः/माला यस्य/किंकिणीमालिन्-), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (उष्ट्रम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उष्ट्रम्: camel
• उष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आरूढः: mounted
• आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√रुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘mounted’; विशेषण (जंभकः)

• अभूत्: became, was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• जंभकः: Jambhaka
• जंभकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जंभक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कालमुंचम्: dark as time (very dark)
• कालमुंचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + मुंच (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: काल- + मुंच-)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (कालः इव मुंचः/कालमुंच-), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (महामेघम्)

• महामेघम्: great cloud
• महामेघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मेघ (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: महा- + मेघ-)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मेघः/महामेघ-), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आरूढः: mounted
• आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√रुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘mounted’; विशेषण (शुम्भदानवः)

• शुम्भदानवः: the demon Śumbha
• शुम्भदानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुम्भ + दानव (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: शुम्भ- + दानव-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शुम्भः दानवः/शुम्भदानव-), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jambhaka rides a camel hung with rows of tinkling bells. Śumbha advances seated upon a vast, dark cloud—like a moving storm that ‘pours out Time’—casting shadow over the army beneath.

Characters & Entities

• Jambhaka
• Śumbha
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas depict adharma as theatrically powerful, yet such power is transient when it threatens the cosmic balance protected by the Devas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it continues the martial catalogue of the Daitya forces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.