Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तुरङ्गैः स्यन्दनैः कृष्ण संख्या तस्य न विद्यते । नटा नानाविधास्तत्र असंख्यातगुणा हरे

Transliteration

turaṅgaiḥ syandanaiḥ kṛṣṇa saṃkhyā tasya na vidyate | naṭā nānāvidhāstatra asaṃkhyātaguṇā hare

Translation

“O Kṛṣṇa, his horses and chariots are beyond counting. And there are many kinds of performers there, O Hari, possessing countless skills.”

Word by Word

• तुरङ्गैः: with horses
• तुरङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्यन्दनैः: with chariots
• स्यन्दनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• कृष्ण: O Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्ण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• संख्या: number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नटाः: dancers/actors
• नटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• नानाविधाः: of various kinds
• नानाविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नानाविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies नटाः); समासः—नाना + विध (कर्मधारय: ‘of many kinds’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• असंख्यातगुणाः: with innumerable qualities
• असंख्यातगुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्यात-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies नटाः); समासः—असंख्यात + गुण (तत्पुरुष: ‘having innumerable qualities’)

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himācala-guhā environs (as narrative setting)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Hari)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas describe the demon’s immeasurable cavalry and chariots, and a multitude of performers with countless skills—an overwhelming pageant of power and entertainment.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Hari
• Tālamegha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material abundance and spectacle do not equal righteousness; dharma is measured by conduct, not display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a descriptive passage within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.