Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेनैव स्थापितश्चेन्द्रस्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । कथमन्यस्य चेन्द्रत्वं भवतीति सुदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

tenaiva sthāpitaścendrastrailokye sacarācare | kathamanyasya cendratvaṃ bhavatīti sudurlabham

Translation

അവനാൽ തന്നെയാണ് ചരാചരസഹിതമായ ത്രൈലോക്യത്തിൽ ഇന്ദ്രൻ സ്ഥാപിതനായത്. പിന്നെ മറ്റൊരാൾക്ക് ഇന്ദ്രത്വം എങ്ങനെ ലഭിക്കും? അതി ദുർലഭം.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• स्थापितः: was established
• स्थापितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (‘having been established/installed’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• सचराचरे: with the moving and unmoving (beings)
• सचराचरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्रैलोक्ये)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• अन्यस्य: of another
• अन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• इन्द्रत्वम्: Indra-hood, the status of Indra
• इन्द्रत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being Indra)

• भवति: is/comes to be
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इन्द्रत्वम्)

Speaker

Śrī Maheśa (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: the speaker points to Indra’s established sovereignty over the three worlds, emphasizing its divine origin and rarity; celestial court imagery is suggested.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Nārāyaṇa (implied as the establisher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic offices are not seized by desire; they are established by divine order, emphasizing humility and rightful appointment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns divine governance and the rarity of celestial status.