Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । हिमाचलगुहायां स वसते दानवेश्वरः । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रैः कन्याभिः परिवारितः

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | himācalaguhāyāṃ sa vasate dānaveśvaraḥ | caturviṃśatisāhasraiḥ kanyābhiḥ parivāritaḥ

Translation

Die Devas sprachen: „Jener Herr der Dämonen wohnt in einer Höhle des Himācala, umgeben von vierundzwanzigtausend Jungfrauen.“

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हिमाचलगुहायाम्: in the cave of Himālaya
• हिमाचलगुहायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमाचल-गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—हिमाचलस्य गुहा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दानवेश्वरः: lord of the demons
• दानवेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—दानवानाम् ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रैः: by twenty-four thousand (women)
• चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशति-साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्यावाचक-समासे), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—चतुर्विंशति + साहस्र (द्विगु: ‘twenty-four thousands’)

• कन्याभिः: by maidens
• कन्याभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• परिवारितः: surrounded
• परिवारितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि+वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies दानवेश्वरः)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himācala-guhā (asura-nivāsa)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas reveal that Tālamegha, lord of demons, lives in a Himalayan cave, encircled by twenty-four thousand maidens—an image of opulent, enchanted seclusion.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Tālamegha (implied as dānaveśvara)
• Himācala (Himalaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may appear opulent and well-guarded, yet it remains vulnerable when confronted by divine justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Himācala (the Himalayan region) is referenced as the setting; the verse does not extol a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.