Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कुंदाभा दश चैवाश्वा वामदक्षिणतो युताः । पूर्णे शतसहस्रे च योजनानां निशाकरात्

Transliteration

kuṃdābhā daśa caivāśvā vāmadakṣiṇato yutāḥ | pūrṇe śatasahasre ca yojanānāṃ niśākarāt

Translation

Ten jasmine-white horses, yoked on the left and right, draw that chariot. And at a full hundred thousand yojanas beyond the Moon…

Word by Word

• कुन्दाभाः: white like jasmine
• कुन्दाभाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुन्द-आभा (प्रातिपदिक; कुन्द + आभा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• दश: ten
• दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वामदक्षिणतः: from the left and right sides
• वामदक्षिणतः: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाम + दक्षिण + तस् (प्रातिपदिक + प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव-प्रत्यय)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (वाम+दक्षिण) + तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; अव्यय (adverb)

• युताः: joined/attended (with)
• युताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पूर्णे: in the full (measure)
• पूर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Measure/Extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative absolute/measure context)

• शतसहस्रे: in a hundred-thousand (distance)
• शतसहस्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Measure/Extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; शत + सहस्र)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (शत+सहस्र) संख्यासमाहार; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• निशाकरात्: from the moon
• निशाकरात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + कर (प्रातिपदिक; निशाकर)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निशायाः करः = चन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous celestial chariot drawn by ten jasmine-white horses yoked symmetrically left and right, moving beyond the Moon into higher spheres; the Moon below appears as a silver disc, with layered heavens above.

Characters & Entities

• Niśākara (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Celestial imagery is used to cultivate awe and devotion, suggesting that even the heavens operate through divinely appointed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues a descriptive account of lunar/celestial arrangement.