Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

हस्त्यश्वयानकोशाढ्यं सोऽभिषिक्तः पदे निजे । दानवानां महावीर्यो ब्राह्मण्येन समन्वितः

Transliteration

hastyaśvayānakośāḍhyaṃ so'bhiṣiktaḥ pade nije | dānavānāṃ mahāvīryo brāhmaṇyena samanvitaḥ

Translation

Abondant en éléphants, chevaux, chars et trésors, il fut consacré par l’abhiṣeka à son propre rang royal : grand héros parmi les Dānavas, et pourvu de la dignité brahmanique (brāhmaṇya).

Word by Word

• हस्ति: elephant
• हस्ति: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• अश्व: horse
• अश्व: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• यान: vehicle
• यान: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• कोश: treasury; store
• कोश: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• आढ्यम्: richly endowed (with elephants, horses, vehicles, treasury)
• आढ्यम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/acc), एकवचन; समासः: हस्ति-अश्व-यान-कोश-आढ्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘rich in elephants, horses, vehicles, and treasury’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन

• अभिषिक्तः: anointed; consecrated
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√sic (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• पदे: in the position; in the rank
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• निजे: in his own
• निजे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; पदे इति विशेषणम्

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• महावीर्यः: of great prowess
• महावीर्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-vīrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महत् + वीर्य (great in prowess)

• ब्राह्मण्येन: with brahminical virtue; piety
• ब्राह्मण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• समन्वितः: endowed; possessed of
• समन्वितः: Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-anvita (कृदन्त; sam-√i/√anv-i (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nom), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand abhiṣeka: the crowned figure seated on a throne, water poured from golden vessels; elephants, horses, chariots, and overflowing treasury chests displayed; priests symbolize ‘brāhmaṇya’.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava (collective)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority is portrayed as requiring both material capacity and a dharmic legitimacy symbolized by consecration and brāhmaṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is directly identified in this verse; it is part of a broader māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references abhiṣeka (consecration) as an event, not as a prescriptive ritual instruction for devotees.