Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्यन्दनैर्नगराकारैः सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः । कच्छपैर्महिषैश्चान्यैर्मकरैश्च तथापरे

Transliteration

syandanairnagarākāraiḥ siṃhaśārdūlayojitaiḥ | kacchapairmahiṣaiścānyairmakaraiśca tathāpare

Translation

Sie kamen in Streitwagen, die wie Städte geformt waren, bespannt mit Löwen und Tigern; andere kamen gezogen von Schildkröten und Büffeln, und wieder andere von mächtigen Makaras.

Word by Word

• स्यन्दनैः: with chariots
• स्यन्दनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नगराकारैः: having the shape of a city
• नगराकारैः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर-आकार (प्रातिपदिक; नगर + आकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies स्यन्दनैः)

• सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः: yoked with lions and tigers
• सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह-शार्दूल-योजित (प्रातिपदिक; सिंह + शार्दूल + योजित[कृदन्त])
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies स्यन्दनैः); योजित = क्त-कृदन्त ‘yoked/attached’

• कच्छपैः: with tortoises
• कच्छपैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• महिषैः: with buffaloes
• महिषैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• अन्यैः: with other (ones)
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies implied vehicles/means)

• मकरैः: with makaras (sea-creatures)
• मकरैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘others’ (elliptic subject continuing देवाः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Āvantya Khaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: City-like chariots yoked to lions and tigers; other conveyances drawn by tortoises, buffaloes, and makaras—an impossible yet coherent celestial parade.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Siṃha
• Śārdūla
• Kacchapa
• Mahiṣa
• Makara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods move with urgency and order when dharma is threatened—cosmic governance responds swiftly to adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it forms part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s larger sacred-geography narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive (arrival and conveyances).