Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एवं पित्रेरितः पक्षी गत्वा तद्गजकच्छपौ । समुद्धत्य महाकायौ महाबलपराक्रमौ

Transliteration

evaṃ pitreritaḥ pakṣī gatvā tadgajakacchapau | samuddhatya mahākāyau mahābalaparākramau

Translation

So, von seinem Vater angewiesen, ging der Vogel zu jenem Elefanten und jener Schildkröte; und er hob jene riesenleibigen Wesen von großer Kraft und Tapferkeit empor,

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• pitrā: by (his) father
• pitrā: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• īritaḥ: urged, instructed
• īritaḥ: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īr (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातुः ईर्/ईरय् (प्रेरणे/उच्चारणे); विशेषणम् (पक्षी)

• pakṣī: the bird
• pakṣī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); धातुः गम् (गत्यर्थ)

• tad-gaja-kacchapau: those (two): the elephant and the tortoise
• tad-gaja-kacchapau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + kacchapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तौ गजकच्छपौ) ‘those elephant and tortoise’

• samuddhatya: having lifted up
• samuddhatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); धातुः हृ (हरणे) उपसर्गाः सम्+उद्; अर्थः—‘उद्धृत्य/उत्थाप्य’

• mahā-kāyau: huge-bodied
• mahā-kāyau: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम् (गजकच्छपौ)

• mahā-bala-parākramau: of great strength and valor
• mahā-bala-parākramau: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + parākrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महच्च बलं च पराक्रमश्च यस्य) विशेषणम् (गजकच्छपौ)

Speaker

Kaśyapa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa, instructed by his father, approaches the battling elephant and tortoise; with effortless might he lifts both, their massive bodies dangling as the sky opens behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• Vainateya (Garuḍa)
• Gaja
• Kacchapa (Kūrma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Strength becomes auspicious when used in obedience to dhārmic instruction rather than personal rage or pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred geography provides the frame; this verse narrates movement within that landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.