Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

एवं संचिन्त्य सुचिरं समाहूय च पुष्पकम् । तत्रारुह्य ययौ तूर्णं किष्किन्धाख्यां पुरीं प्रति

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃcintya suciraṃ samāhūya ca puṣpakam | tatrāruhya yayau tūrṇaṃ kiṣkindhākhyāṃ purīṃ prati

Translation

Having reflected thus for a long while, he summoned the Puṣpaka, the aerial car; mounting it, he swiftly went toward the city called Kiṣkindhā.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having thought/considered)

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su-cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्रायं क्रियाविशेषण; कालवाचक (adverb of time: for a long time)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having summoned/called)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• पुष्पकम्: the Puṣpaka (aerial car)
• पुष्पकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: there)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having mounted/ascended)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly)

• किष्किन्धा-आख्याम्: named Kiṣkindhā
• किष्किन्धा-आख्याम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘purīm’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiṣkindhā + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नामधारक: ‘किष्किन्धा’ इति आख्या यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Goal as object with prati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradāna/Adhikaraṇa (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय; दिशार्थे/प्रत्यर्थे (preposition: towards)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; action-description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kiṣkindhā (Rāma–Sugrīva-saṅgama-smṛti)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, after long contemplation, summons the celestial Puṣpaka; the vimāna descends with radiance as he mounts and speeds toward Kiṣkindhā over forests and rocky hills.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpaka Vimāna
• Kiṣkindhā
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After fulfilling duties, one proceeds mindfully to the next sacred obligation—travel itself becomes an instrument of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kiṣkindhā is named as a significant sacred-geographical location associated with the Rāmāyaṇa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes purposeful movement toward a sacred locale.