Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

नागैः पर्वतसंकाशै रथैर्जलदसन्निभैः । अश्वैर्महाजवैश्चैव परिवव्रुः समंततः

Transliteration

nāgaiḥ parvatasaṃkāśai rathairjaladasannibhaiḥ | aśvairmahājavaiścaiva parivavruḥ samaṃtataḥ

Translation

Avec des éléphants grands comme des montagnes, des chars pareils à des nuées de pluie, et des chevaux puissants et rapides, ils les encerclèrent de toutes parts.

Word by Word

• नागैः: by/with elephants
• नागैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental case (3rd), Plural

• पर्वत-संकाशैः: resembling mountains
• पर्वत-संकाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjective qualifying ‘नागैः’

• रथैः: by/with chariots
• रथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• जलद-सन्निभैः: like clouds
• जलद-सन्निभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जलद (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjective qualifying ‘रथैः’

• अश्वैः: by/with horses
• अश्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• महा-जवैः: of great speed
• महा-जवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + जव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjective qualifying ‘अश्वैः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction ‘and’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• परिवव्रुः: surrounded/encircled
• परिवव्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — adverb of place

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Dānava host forms a tightening ring: elephants like mountains, chariots like rain-cloud banks, and swift horses surging to surround the divine pair.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava forces

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Overwhelming worldly power and display cannot prevail against dharma when the divine stands as protector; grandeur is not the same as righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented as the sacred theatre where hostile forces gather yet ultimately fail before divine guardianship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse provides martial description and atmosphere.