Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ऐरावतं महानागं तं चैवोच्चैःश्रवोहयम् । उर्वश्यादीनि रत्नानि मम दर्शय गोपते

Transliteration

airāvataṃ mahānāgaṃ taṃ caivoccaiḥśravohayam | urvaśyādīni ratnāni mama darśaya gopate

Translation

ಐರಾವತ ಮಹಾನಾಗವನ್ನೂ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಉಚ್ಚೈಃಶ್ರವ ಅಶ್ವವನ್ನೂ; ಉರ್ವಶೀ ಮೊದಲಾದ ರತ್ನಸಮಾನ ದಿವ್ಯ ನಿಧಿಗಳನ್ನು—ಹೇ ಗೋಪತೇ, ನನಗೆ ತೋರಿಸು.

Word by Word

• airāvatam: Airāvata (Indra’s elephant)
• airāvatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: airāvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahānāgam: the great elephant/serpent (great nāga)
• mahānāgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘mahān nāgaḥ’)

• tam: him/that one
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (emphasis: just/indeed)

• uccaiḥśravohayam: Uccaiḥśravas (the divine horse)
• uccaiḥśravohayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccaiḥśravas + haya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘uccaiḥśravāḥ hayaḥ’ = the horse named Uccaiḥśravas)

• urvaśyādīni: Urvaśī and the others
• urvaśyādīni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvaśī + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘urvaśī-ādi’ = Urvaśī and others)

• ratnāni: gems, treasures
• ratnāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mama: to me / for me
• mama: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• darśaya: show
• darśaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• gopate: O lord of the cows/herds (protector)
• gopate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘gopānāṃ patiḥ’)

Speaker

Andhaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka demands to see Airāvata, Uccaiḥśravas, and ‘treasures beginning with Urvaśī’; the scene evokes a catalog of celestial marvels under a predatory gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Uccaiḥśravas
• Urvaśī
• Indra (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse depicts attachment to divine ‘ratnas’ as another form of bondage when sought for domination rather than reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on Svarga’s famed beings and treasures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.