Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नभोमार्गेण गच्छत्तद्विमानं पुष्पकं द्विजाः । अकस्मादेव सञ्जातं निश्चलं चित्रकृन्नृणाम्

Transliteration

nabhomārgeṇa gacchattadvimānaṃ puṣpakaṃ dvijāḥ | akasmādeva sañjātaṃ niścalaṃ citrakṛnnṛṇām

Translation

O brāhmaṇas, as the Puṣpaka aerial chariot was moving along the path of the sky, it suddenly became motionless—an astonishing sight for people.

Word by Word

• nabhomārgeṇa: by the sky-route, through the air
• nabhomārgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nabhas-mārga (प्रातिपदिक; नभस् + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/मार्गनिर्देश (instrumental of route)

• gacchat: going, moving
• gacchat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विमानम् इति विशेषण

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विमानम् इति विशेषण

• vimānam: the aerial car
• vimānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (with sañjātam)

• puṣpakam: Puṣpaka
• puṣpakam: Samanadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विमानस्य नाम (apposition)

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born ones
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

• akasmāt: suddenly
• akasmāt: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: akasmāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), आकस्मिकत्ववाचक

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधारणार्थक

• sañjātam: became, arose
• sañjātam: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-jan (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• niścalam: motionless
• niścalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विमानम् इति विशेषण

• citrakṛt: wonder-causing
• citrakṛt: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra-kṛt (प्रातिपदिक; चित्र + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (पाठभेद/सन्ध्यनुसार) विशेषण; अर्थतः ‘आश्चर्यकारक’

• nṛṇām: of men
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Puṣpaka-vimāna suspended motionless in the open sky, with onlookers below astonished; inside, Rāma and companions sense an unseen force.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpaka Vimāna
• Dvijas (brāhmaṇas/sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a divine vehicle halts without visible cause, it signals an unseen spiritual authority—often the sanctity of a kṣetra that even celestial motion honors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The halt foreshadows the presence of a revered sacred field below, later named Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse sets up a tīrtha-māhātmya revelation through a miraculous event.