Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कुबेरः पुष्पकारूढो मृगाऽरूढोऽथ मारुतः । बस्ताऽरूढः पावकश्च प्रेताऽरूढोऽथ निरृति

Transliteration

kuberaḥ puṣpakārūḍho mṛgā'rūḍho'tha mārutaḥ | bastā'rūḍhaḥ pāvakaśca pretā'rūḍho'tha nirṛti

Translation

Kubera kam, auf Puṣpaka reitend; Māruta (Vāyu) kam auf einem Hirsch. Pāvaka (Agni) kam auf einer Ziege, und Nirṛti kam auf einem preta, einem geisterhaften Wesen.

Word by Word

• कुबेरः: Kubera
• कुबेरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुष्पक-आरूढः: mounted on Puṣpaka (the aerial car)
• पुष्पक-आरूढः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पक (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past passive participle), ‘पुष्पके आरूढः’ (locative-tatpurusha sense)

• मृग-आरूढः: mounted on a deer
• मृग-आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त; ‘मृगे आरूढः’

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: then/and)

• मारुतः: Vāyu (the Wind-god)
• मारुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बस्त-आरूढः: mounted on a he-goat
• बस्त-आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त; ‘बस्ते आरूढः’

• पावकः: Agni (Fire)
• पावकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• प्रेत-आरूढः: mounted on a preta (ghostly being)
• प्रेत-आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त; ‘प्रेते आरूढः’

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• निरृति: Nirṛti (goddess of dissolution/southwest)
• निरृति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kanakhala

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis / ‘dvijanmā’ addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial arrival scene: Kubera on the Puṣpaka aerial chariot; Vāyu poised on a swift deer; Agni astride a goat with flames haloing; Nirṛti riding a pale preta—each entering the yajña enclosure with distinct aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera
• Puṣpaka
• Māruta (Vāyu)
• Pāvaka (Agni)
• Nirṛti
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narration uses vivid divine imagery to convey the extraordinary sanctity and grandeur of the gathering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred region; this verse primarily provides descriptive details of the arriving deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive (who arrived and on what mounts).