Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

हस्त्यश्वयानकोशाढ्यं सोऽभिषिक्तः पदे निजे । दानवानां महावीर्यो ब्राह्मण्येन समन्वितः

Transliteration

hastyaśvayānakośāḍhyaṃ so'bhiṣiktaḥ pade nije | dānavānāṃ mahāvīryo brāhmaṇyena samanvitaḥ

Translation

Reich an Elefanten, Pferden, Wagen und Schatzkammer wurde er durch die Abhiṣeka in sein eigenes Königsamt eingesetzt—ein großer Held unter den Dānavas und erfüllt von brahmanischer Würde (brāhmaṇya).

Word by Word

• हस्ति: elephant
• हस्ति: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• यान: vehicle
• यान: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• कोश: treasury; store
• कोश: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• आढ्यम्: richly endowed (with elephants, horses, vehicles, treasury)
• आढ्यम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/acc), एकवचन; समासः: हस्ति-अश्व-यान-कोश-आढ्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘rich in elephants, horses, vehicles, and treasury’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन

• अभिषिक्तः: anointed; consecrated
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√sic (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• पदे: in the position; in the rank
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• निजे: in his own
• निजे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; पदे इति विशेषणम्

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• महावीर्यः: of great prowess
• महावीर्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महत् + वीर्य (great in prowess)

• ब्राह्मण्येन: with brahminical virtue; piety
• ब्राह्मण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• समन्वितः: endowed; possessed of
• समन्वितः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-anvita (कृदन्त; sam-√i/√anv-i (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand abhiṣeka: the crowned figure seated on a throne, water poured from golden vessels; elephants, horses, chariots, and overflowing treasury chests displayed; priests symbolize ‘brāhmaṇya’.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava (collective)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority is portrayed as requiring both material capacity and a dharmic legitimacy symbolized by consecration and brāhmaṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is directly identified in this verse; it is part of a broader māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references abhiṣeka (consecration) as an event, not as a prescriptive ritual instruction for devotees.