Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गण्डकैश्चैव खड्गैश्च गोमायुसुरभी युतम् । सारङ्गैर्मल्लकैश्चैव द्विपदैश्च चतुष्पदैः

Transliteration

gaṇḍakaiścaiva khaḍgaiśca gomāyusurabhī yutam | sāraṅgairmallakaiścaiva dvipadaiśca catuṣpadaiḥ

Translation

وكانت أيضًا مملوءةً بوحوش الغَنْدَكَة والخَدْغَة، وبابن آوى وكائناتٍ ذات عِطرٍ زكيّ؛ وبغزلان السّارانغا والمالّكا، وبمخلوقاتٍ ثنائيةِ القوائم ورباعيةِ القوائم.

Word by Word

• गण्डकैः: with rhinoceroses
• गण्डकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• खड्गैः: with swords (or: with rhinoceroses, if खड्ग=गण्डक)
• खड्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• गोमायु-सुरभी: jackals and fragrant (creatures) / jackals and (others)
• गोमायु-सुरभी: Karta/Adheya (Subject-like descriptor/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमायु (प्रातिपदिक) + सुरभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/इतरेतर-प्राय)

• युतम्: endowed/associated (with)
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• सारङ्गैः: with deer (sāraṅga)
• सारङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मल्लकैः: with malla-birds/creatures called mallaka
• मल्लकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• द्विपदैः: with bipeds
• द्विपदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्व)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• चतुष्पदैः: with quadrupeds
• चतुष्पदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्व)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra-vana (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense, living forest on a riverbank teeming with varied wild animals—gaṇḍaka and khaḍga beasts, jackals, fragrant musk-bearing creatures, deer—moving among trees and undergrowth, suggesting a sacred, protected ecology.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇḍaka
• Khaḍga
• Gomāyu
• Sāraṅga
• Mallaka
• Dvipada
• Catuṣpada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha-region is portrayed as complete and protected—supporting all classes of beings, human and animal alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Vindhya sacred forest/āśrama landscape within the Revākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the māhātmya-style glorification of the locale’s auspicious fullness.