Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गरुडानां सहस्रेण गरुडोपमितत्विषा । ते हि पुत्राः सुपर्णस्य संस्थिता मेरुकन्दरे

Transliteration

garuḍānāṃ sahasreṇa garuḍopamitatviṣā | te hi putrāḥ suparṇasya saṃsthitā merukandare

Translation

With a thousand Garuḍas, shining with a splendor comparable to Garuḍa himself—indeed, they were the sons of Suparṇa—stationed in the caverns of Mount Meru.

Word by Word

• गरुडानाम्: of Garuḍas
• गरुडानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सहस्रेण: by a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• गरुडोपमितत्विषा: with lustre comparable to Garuḍa
• गरुडोपमितत्विषा: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरुड-उपमित-त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; गरुड + उपमित + त्विष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (उपमा-आधारित: ‘garuḍa-upamita’ = compared to Garuḍa) + ‘tviṣā’ (with lustre)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भाव

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुपर्णस्य: of Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• सुपर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संस्थिताः: were stationed
• संस्थिताः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘having been stationed/standing’

• मेरुकन्दरे: in the cave of Meru
• मेरुकन्दरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु-कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक; मेरु + कन्दर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुष (‘in the cave of Meru’)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru (cosmic kṣetra)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within luminous caverns of Mount Meru, a thousand Garuḍa-like beings—sons of Suparṇa—stand in ranks, their wings catching golden light, radiating fierce splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍas
• Suparṇa (Garuḍa)
• Mount Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It evokes Purāṇic sacred geography and divine lineages, presenting cosmic order and powerful beings within that order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is referenced as a cosmic sacred mountain, though not as a pilgrimage instruction in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.