Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्रवींदुवह्नीनां तेजसामिव पंजरे । विमाने सूर्यसंकाशानपश्यं शिवकिंकरान्

Transliteration

tasminravīṃduvahnīnāṃ tejasāmiva paṃjare | vimāne sūryasaṃkāśānapaśyaṃ śivakiṃkarān

Translation

In jenem Vimāna — gleich einem Käfig der Glanzkräfte von Sonne, Mond und Feuer — sah ich Śivas Diener, strahlend wie die Sonne.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/vehicle)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रवि-इन्दु-वह्नीनाम्: of the sun, moon, and fire
• रवि-इन्दु-वह्नीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• तेजसाम्: of splendors/brightnesses
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• पञ्जरे: in a cage/enclosure
• पञ्जरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विमाने: in the aerial car
• विमाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सूर्य-संकाशान्: sun-like
• सूर्य-संकाशान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-सम्बन्ध: 'like the sun')

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect); उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिव-किंकरान्: Śiva's attendants
• शिव-किंकरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'of Śiva')

Speaker

Narrator (first-person voice in the passage; exact attribution not in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the blazing vimāna—like a luminous cage woven from the brilliance of sun, moon, and fire—stand Śiva’s attendants, each sun-bright, their outlines edged with flame-like aureoles.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-kiṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The attendants of Śiva are portrayed as embodiments of divine light, reinforcing the idea that Śaiva grace is luminous and protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription appears here.