Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

धिष्ठितां समपश्यंस्ते सर्वे मातंगगामिनीम् । योजनानां शतैर्भूयः सहस्रैश्चाप्यधिष्ठिताम्

Transliteration

dhiṣṭhitāṃ samapaśyaṃste sarve mātaṃgagāminīm | yojanānāṃ śatairbhūyaḥ sahasraiścāpyadhiṣṭhitām

Translation

Tous la virent là, se mouvant avec l’allure d’un noble éléphant. Et de nouveau elle fut aperçue, établie à des centaines — voire à des milliers — de yojanas.

Word by Word

• अधिष्ठिताम्: situated/placed
• अधिष्ठिताम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि+स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सम्: together/fully
• सम्: Sambandha (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• अपश्यन्: saw
• अपश्यन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (अपश्यन् = they saw)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मातङ्ग: elephant
• मातङ्ग: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• गामिनीम्: moving/going
• गामिनीम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (गमनशील)

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

• शतैः: by hundreds
• शतैः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (hundreds)

• भूयः: further/again
• भूयः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक/अधिक्यवाचक अव्यय (again/further)

• सहस्रैः: by thousands
• सहस्रैः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (thousands)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• अधिष्ठिताम्: situated/placed
• अधिष्ठिताम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि+स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-zone (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: They behold her poised, moving with the stately gait of a noble elephant; yet she is seen again impossibly far—hundreds and thousands of yojanas—her radiance a distant beacon.

Characters & Entities

• the maiden (kanyā)
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Majesty can intensify fascination, but the farther one chases an object of attachment, the more it recedes—teaching detachment and inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.