Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा गतो भूप शतयोजनमायतम् । बाणस्य तत्पुरश्रेष्ठमृद्धिवृद्धिसमायुतम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā gato bhūpa śatayojanamāyatam | bāṇasya tatpuraśreṣṭhamṛddhivṛddhisamāyutam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞിട്ട്, ഹേ രാജാവേ, അവൻ ബാണന്റെ ആ നഗരശ്രേഷ്ഠത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി; അത് ശതയോജന വ്യാപ്തിയുള്ളതും സമൃദ്ധിയും നിരന്തരം വർധിക്കുന്ന വൈഭവവും നിറഞ്ഞതുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• गतः: went / gone
• गतः: Kriyā (Predicate; implied ‘he went’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (gone)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• शत: hundred
• शत: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• योजनम्: yojana (measure)
• योजनम्: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun within measure phrase)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आयतम्: extended, long
• आयतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with ‘पुरम्’ understood)

• बाणस्य: of Bāṇa
• बाणस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• पुर: city
• पुर: Karma/Viśeṣya (Object/Head noun; ‘city’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ऋद्धि: prosperity
• ऋद्धि: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• वृद्धि: increase, growth
• वृद्धि: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• समायुतम्: endowed with, accompanied by
• समायुतम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (endowed/combined with)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator addressing a king (bhūpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bāṇapura (as described in Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler/hero, after speaking to the king, approaches Bāṇa’s immense city stretching ‘a hundred yojanas’, its skyline dense with palaces and shrines, shimmering with prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Immense scale and prosperity are not proofs of righteousness; grandeur can belong even to forces opposed to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse describes Bāṇa’s city within the Tripura account, not a pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.