Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शैलेन्द्रं यः समासाद्य आत्मानं मुञ्चते नरः । विमानेनार्कवर्णेन स गच्छेदमरावतीम्

Transliteration

śailendraṃ yaḥ samāsādya ātmānaṃ muñcate naraḥ | vimānenārkavarṇena sa gacchedamarāvatīm

Translation

ശൈലേന്ദ്രത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ച് ദേഹം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്ന നരൻ സൂര്യവർണ്ണമായ വിമാനത്തിൽ കൊണ്ടുപോയി അമരാവതിയിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• शैलेन्द्रम्: the lord of mountains (Śailendra)
• शैलेन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शैलानाम् इन्द्रः = best of mountains)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• समासाद्य: having approached/reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• आत्मानम्: himself; the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मुञ्चते: releases/abandons (the body)
• मुञ्चते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; यः इति विशेष्य

• विमानेन: by an aerial car
• विमानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अर्कवर्णेन: sun-hued
• अर्कवर्णेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अर्कस्य वर्णः = sun-colored); विशेषण (विमानेन)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अमरावतीम्: Amarāvatī (Indra’s city)
• अमरावतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śailendra

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sacred peak releases the body; a radiant, sun-hued vimāna descends amid clouds and light, carrying him toward Amarāvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Śailendra
• Amarāvatī
• Indra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames certain sacred locales as gateways to exalted post-mortem states when approached with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śailendra, a revered mountain-site mentioned in the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reaching the sacred site (yātrā) and relinquishing life there; no separate ritual is detailed.