Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

शिबिकाभिश्चासंख्याभिः प्रययौ राघवस्तदा । गजारूढः प्रपश्यंश्च देशान्विविधसौहृदान्

Transliteration

śibikābhiścāsaṃkhyābhiḥ prayayau rāghavastadā | gajārūḍhaḥ prapaśyaṃśca deśānvividhasauhṛdān

Translation

حينئذٍ مضى راغهافا ومعه محامل لا تُحصى؛ وكان راكبًا فيلًا، يتأمّل الممالك المتنوّعة وقد وُسِمت بروابط شتّى من المودّة.

Word by Word

• शिबिकाभिः: with palanquins
• शिबिकाभिः: Sahakāraka (Means/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• असंख्याभिः: countless
• असंख्याभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); विशेषणम्

• प्रययौ: went forth
• प्रययौ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: या

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• गजारूढः: mounted on an elephant
• गजारूढः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (आ-रुह् धातोः क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गजे आरूढः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• प्रपश्यन्: seeing, observing
• प्रपश्यन्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Concurrent action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) ‘प्रपश्यत्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देशान्: regions, countries
• देशान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Acc. pl.)

• विविधसौहृदान्: having various friendly relations
• विविधसौहृदान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक) + सौहृद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विविधं सौहृदं येषु/येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Acc. pl.); ‘देशान्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāghava rides a caparisoned elephant, surrounded by innumerable palanquins and attendants; he surveys varied lands and peoples, greeted by friendly rulers and communities along the route.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-oriented leadership moves through the world without hostility, recognizing and sustaining bonds of goodwill.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues toward Dharmāraṇya; this verse serves as the journey-setting rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.