Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

रथं महीमयं कृत्वा धुरि तावश्विनावुभौ । अक्षे सुरेश्वरं देवमग्रकील्यां धनाधिपम्

Transliteration

rathaṃ mahīmayaṃ kṛtvā dhuri tāvaśvināvubhau | akṣe sureśvaraṃ devamagrakīlyāṃ dhanādhipam

Translation

Ayant façonné le char de la Terre elle-même, il plaça les deux Aśvinī-kumāras au joug; il mit le Seigneur des dieux (Indra) sur l’essieu, et installa le Seigneur des richesses (Kubera) sur la cheville avant du char.

Word by Word

• ratham: chariot
• ratham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• mahīmayam: made of earth
• mahīmayam: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahī+maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महीमयः = पृथिवीमयः) विशेषण ratham

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having made

• dhuri: on the yoke/pole
• dhuri: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अत्र 'उभौ' इत्यनेन सह प्रथमा-द्विवचन (those two)

• aśvinau: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• aśvinau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन; विशेषण aśvinau

• akṣe: on the axle
• akṣe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• sureśvaram: lord of the gods (Indra)
• sureśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura+īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; sureśvaram इत्यस्य अपि विशेष्य

• agrakīlyām: on the front pin/peg
• agrakīlyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra+kīlya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्रे कील्या/कीलिका)

• dhanādhipam: lord of wealth (Kubera)
• dhanādhipam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana+adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (धनस्य अधिपः) = कुबेरः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style in Āvantya/Revā context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast chariot formed of Earth—mountains as contours, oceans as inlays—Aśvinī twins at the yoke, Indra enthroned at the axle, Kubera fixed at the front pin like a jeweled fastener.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Aśvinī-kumāras
• Indra (Sureśvara)
• Kubera (Dhanādhipa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic powers—earth, healing divinities, sovereignty, and wealth—are shown as instruments within Śiva’s supreme order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region in the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on Śiva’s cosmic preparation rather than a single named ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata, dāna, or snāna instruction appears here; it is a theological-cosmological depiction.