Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तत्र दिव्याप्सरोभिस्तु वीज्यमानोऽथ चामरैः । क्रीडते सुचिरं कालं जयशब्दादिमङ्गलैः

Transliteration

tatra divyāpsarobhistu vījyamāno'tha cāmaraiḥ | krīḍate suciraṃ kālaṃ jayaśabdādimaṅgalaiḥ

Translation

Dort, von göttlichen Apsaras mit Chamara-Fächern aus Yakschweif befächelt, vergnügt er sich überaus lange, inmitten glückverheißender Feierlichkeiten, die mit Rufen „Sieg!“ beginnen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• दिव्य: divine
• दिव्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे (विशेषण), प्रथमा/तृतीया बहुवचनानुरूपम्; अत्र समासपूर्वपदत्वेन अव्यक्त-विभक्ति — adjective used as qualifier in compound

• अप्सरोभिः: by apsarases
• अप्सरोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चयार्थ-व्यतिरेकसूचक) — particle

• वीज्यमानः: being fanned
• वीज्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वीज् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — present passive participle ‘being fanned’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — indeclinable ‘then/now’

• चामरैः: with yak-tail fans
• चामरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• क्रीडते: plays/sports
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd sg.

• सुचिरम्: for a very long (time)
• सुचिरम्: Kaaladhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative used adverbially (कालपरिमाण)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Kaaladhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative of duration

• जयशब्दादिमङ्गलैः: with auspicious cries beginning with ‘jaya’
• जयशब्दादिमङ्गलैः: Karana (Instrument/Accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; समासः: (जय-शब्द)-आदि-मङ्गल = ‘auspicious (things) beginning with cries of victory’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: heaven-reward phala-śruti narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha-tīrtha (Revā/Narmadā context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘rājendra’ in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant celestial court: the meritorious pilgrim honored in svarga, apsarases fanning him with cāmara, surrounded by banners and attendants chanting ‘Jaya!’ amid festive music.

Characters & Entities

• Apsaras
• Cāmara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic phala-śruti uses celestial imagery to affirm that dharmic pilgrimage and devotion yield exalted, auspicious states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha context continues; the verse describes the heavenly consequence of the earlier tīrtha rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is added; it elaborates the reward (phala) following the prescribed snāna, pūjā, and dāna.