Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

चलत्तरङ्गोर्मिसमानरूपा महापुरोधाननिभाश्च केचित् । सगोपुराट्टालकसंनिकाशाः सविद्युदुल्काशनिमण्डितान्ताः

Transliteration

calattaraṅgormisamānarūpā mahāpurodhānanibhāśca kecit | sagopurāṭṭālakasaṃnikāśāḥ savidyudulkāśanimaṇḍitāntāḥ

Translation

Einige hatten Gestalt wie bewegte Wellen und brandende Wogen; einige glichen den Antlitzen großer Priester. Einige erschienen wie Stadttore, Türme und hohe Wehrmauern, deren Ränder mit Blitzen, Meteoren und donnernden Schlägen wie Vajras geschmückt waren.

Word by Word

• चलत्: moving
• चलत्: Visheshana (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुं/नपुंसक/स्त्री—समासाङ्ग; ‘moving’

• तरङ्ग: wave
• तरङ्ग: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• ऊर्मि: billow / surge
• ऊर्मि: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• समानरूपाः: of similar form
• समानरूपाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘having similar form’

• महापुरोधा: a great priest
• महापुरोधा: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरोधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग—‘great priest’

• निभाः: resembling
• निभाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपमावाचक विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चयबोधक

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सगोपुर: with gateways
• सगोपुर: Visheshana (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह-प्रातिपदिक) + गोपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; ‘with gateways/towers’

• अट्टालक: turrets
• अट्टालक: Upamana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट्टालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘turret/attālaka’; समासाङ्ग

• संनिकाशाः: resembling / appearing like
• संनिकाशाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनि-काश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘resembling/looking like’

• सविद्युत्: with lightning
• सविद्युत्: Visheshana (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह-प्रातिपदिक) + विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; ‘with lightning’

• उल्का: meteors / firebrands
• उल्का: Instrument/attribute member
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘meteor/firebrand’; समासाङ्ग

• अशनि: thunderbolts
• अशनि: Instrument/attribute member
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘thunderbolt’; समासाङ्ग

• मण्डित: adorned
• मण्डित: Visheshana (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मण्ड् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग—समासाङ्ग; ‘adorned’

• अन्ताः: ends / edges
• अन्ताः: Adhikarana/Descriptive locus
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ends/borders’; here as head of compound ‘-अन्त’

Speaker

Śrī Markaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-region (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Clouds ripple like waves; some resemble solemn priestly faces; others rise like gopuras and ramparts, their edges jeweled with lightning, meteors, and thunderbolt-flashes—sky as a fortified sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Lightning (vidyut)
• Thunderbolt (āśani/śani)
• Meteors (ulkā)
• Pralaya clouds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse evokes sacred awe: worldly structures and status are mirrored and surpassed by cosmic forces, urging humility and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the imagery serves the Revā Khaṇḍa’s overarching tīrtha-glorification by contrasting it with cosmic dissolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.