Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विमानैः पर्वताकारैर्हयैश्चैव गजोपमैः । स्यन्दनैर्नगराकारैः सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः

Transliteration

vimānaiḥ parvatākārairhayaiścaiva gajopamaiḥ | syandanairnagarākāraiḥ siṃhaśārdūlayojitaiḥ

Translation

അവർ പർവ്വതാകാരമായ വിമാനങ്ങളിൽ, ഗജസമാനമായ കുതിരകളോടെ, നഗരാകൃതിയിലുള്ള രഥങ്ങളിൽ—സിംഹ-ശാർദൂലങ്ങൾ ചേർത്തവയിൽ—പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• विमानैः: by aerial chariots
• विमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• पर्वताकारैः: mountain-shaped
• पर्वताकारैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत-आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सन्दर्भानुसार), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पर्वतस्य आकारः) विशेषणम् (विमानैः)

• हयैः: by horses
• हयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

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

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

• गजोपमैः: like elephants
• गजोपमैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज-उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गजेन उपमाः) विशेषणम् (हयैः)

• स्यन्दनैः: by chariots
• स्यन्दनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• नगराकारैः: city-shaped, like a city
• नगराकारैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर-आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नगरस्य आकारः) विशेषणम् (स्यन्दनैः)

• सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः: yoked with lions and tigers
• सिंहशार्दूलयोजितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह-शार्दूल-योजित (प्रातिपदिक; युज्-धातु क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘योजित’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; द्वन्द्वः (सिंहशार्दूलौ) + तृतीया-बहुवचन विशेषणम् (स्यन्दनैः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A spectacular procession: mountain-sized vimānas, elephant-like horses, and city-shaped chariots drawn by lions and tigers, filling the sky in layered perspective.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vimāna
• Syandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial power and splendor cannot secure safety without dharma; grandeur is secondary to divine refuge and right order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is descriptive narration within the Revā Khaṇḍa frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a poetic depiction of vehicles and forces.