Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

आरूढः पक्षिराजेन्द्रं वधार्थं दानवस्य च । दानवस्य पुरे पेतुरुत्पाता घोररूपिणः

Transliteration

ārūḍhaḥ pakṣirājendraṃ vadhārthaṃ dānavasya ca | dānavasya pure peturutpātā ghorarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

Auf dem König der Vögel (Garuḍa) reitend, zog er aus, den Dānava zu töten; und in der Stadt des Dānava fielen schreckliche, furchtgestaltige Unheilszeichen herab.

Word by Word

• आरूढः: mounted
• आरूढः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'आरोहितः'

• पक्षिराजेन्द्रम्: the lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• पक्षिराजेन्द्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिराज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पक्षिराजस्य इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वधार्थम्: for the purpose of killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वधाय अर्थः/वधस्य अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक

• दानवस्य: of the demon
• दानवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• दानवस्य: of the demon
• दानवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पेतुः: fell/occurred
• पेतुः: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• उत्पाताः: portents/omens
• उत्पाताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• घोररूपिणः: of dreadful form
• घोररूपिणः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (घोरं रूपं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उत्पाताः इति विशेषण

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu rides Garuḍa across the sky toward the asura city; below, the city trembles as ominous phenomena begin—darkened skies, falling meteors, frightened inhabitants.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma is about to be checked by divine power, nature itself signals the turning of fate through ominous portents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative and does not directly praise a named tīrtha; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on narrative omens preceding a confrontation.