Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततो विमानमालंब्य देवदूतस्तमुच्चकैः । इंद्रद्युम्नमुवाचेदं श्रृण्वतां नाकवासिनाम्

Transliteration

tato vimānamālaṃbya devadūtastamuccakaiḥ | iṃdradyumnamuvācedaṃ śrṛṇvatāṃ nākavāsinām

Translation

Dann ergriff der göttliche Bote das Himmelsgefährt und sprach mit lauter Stimme zu Indradyumna, während die Bewohner des Himmels lauschten.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/thereupon)

• विमानम्: the chariot
• विमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आलम्ब्य: having mounted/taken hold of
• आलम्ब्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• देवदूतः: the divine messenger
• देवदूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘देवानां दूतः’)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उच्चकैः: aloud
• उच्चकैः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चकैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: loudly/aloud)

• इंद्रद्युम्नम्: Indradyumna
• इंद्रद्युम्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इंद्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (object of ‘said’: ‘this’)

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Sati-saptami/Genitive absolute (Context/सापेक्ष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle) ‘शृण्वत्’; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (genitive absolute: ‘while ... were listening’)

• नाकवासिनाम्: of the heavenly dwellers
• नाकवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नाकस्य वासिनः’ = dwellers of heaven)

Speaker

Devadūta (introduced by the narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devadūta grips the vimāna’s rail and speaks loudly to Indradyumna; celestial beings gather, attentive, forming a listening circle in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Devadūta
• Vimāna
• Indradyumna
• Nāka-vāsin (heaven-dwellers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance arrives at the culmination of merit; heaven bears witness when dharma’s fruit is announced.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the scene is set in a heavenly context with the vimāna and nāka-vāsins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a divine proclamation rather than prescribing a practice.