Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कुजंभस्य रथो युक्तः पिशाचवदनैः खरैः । तावद्भिर्महिषस्योष्टैर्गजस्य च हयैर्युतः

Transliteration

kujaṃbhasya ratho yuktaḥ piśācavadanaiḥ kharaiḥ | tāvadbhirmahiṣasyoṣṭairgajasya ca hayairyutaḥ

Translation

俱阇婆的战车以面如毗舍遮的驴为驾而备好；同样，摩诃沙的战车以骆驼相连，伽阇的战车则以同等数量的骏马套上。

Word by Word

• कुजंभस्य: of Kujambha
• कुजंभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुजंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रथः: chariot
• रथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• युक्तः: yoked, harnessed
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (रथस्य)

• पिशाचवदनैः: with demon-faced (ones)
• पिशाचवदनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशाच + वदन (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: पिशाच- + वदन-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पिशाचस्य वदनम्/पिशाचवदन-), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (खरैः)

• खरैः: by/with donkeys
• खरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तावद्भिः: with as many (of them)
• तावद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्द, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (उष्टैः/हयैः)

• महिषस्य: of a buffalo
• महिषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उष्टैः: with camels
• उष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गजस्य: of an elephant
• गजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• हयैः: with horses
• हयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• युतः: joined with, accompanied by
• युतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (रथस्य)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A demonic war procession: Kujambha’s chariot yoked to donkey-like beasts with piśāca faces; beside it Mahiṣa’s chariot drawn by camels; Gaja’s chariot drawn by horses—each vehicle bristling with weapons, banners, and dust rising like smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Kujambha
• Mahiṣa
• Gaja
• Ratha (chariot)
• Khara (donkey)
• Uṣṭra (camel)
• Haya (horse)
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the mind is driven by tamas, even its ‘vehicles’ become distorted—Purāṇas depict this through grotesque, unsettling imagery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.