Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सिंहव्याघ्रवराहैश्च गजैः खड्गैर्निषेवितम् । बहुपक्षियुतं दिव्यं यथा चैत्ररथं वनम्

Transliteration

siṃhavyāghravarāhaiśca gajaiḥ khaḍgairniṣevitam | bahupakṣiyutaṃ divyaṃ yathā caitrarathaṃ vanam

Translation

അത് സിംഹം, വ്യാഘ്രം, വരാഹം, ഗജം, ഖഡ്ഗമൃഗം മുതലായവയുടെ സഞ്ചാരത്താൽ നിഷേവിതമായിരുന്നു; അനേകം പക്ഷികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞ ആ ദിവ്യവനം സ്വർഗീയ ചൈത്രരഥവനത്തെപ്പോലെ തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• सिंह: lion
• सिंह: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• व्याघ्र: tiger
• व्याघ्र: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• वराहैः: by boars (and lions, tigers)
• वराहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/सहचर्ये (instrumental: 'by/with')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction 'and')

• गजैः: by elephants
• गजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• खड्गैः: by rhinoceroses (khaḍga)
• खड्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निषेवितम्: frequented/inhabited by
• निषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + सेव् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वनम्/दारुवनम्)

• बहु: many
• बहु: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (many)

• पक्षि: bird
• पक्षि: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• युतम्: endowed with, accompanied by
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वनम्)

• दिव्यम्: divine, splendid
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वनम्)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative indeclinable: 'as/like')

• चैत्ररथम्: (like) the Caitraratha (forest)
• चैत्ररथम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चैत्ररथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपमानपद (object of comparison)

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपे

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāruvana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wondrous forest teeming with lions, tigers, boars, elephants, and rhinoceroses; flocks of birds fill the canopy; the whole scene is likened to the celestial Caitraratha forest.

Characters & Entities

• Dāruvana
• Caitraratha (forest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic sacred landscape is portrayed as both awe-inspiring and cosmically resonant, preparing the listener for divine manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the mythic setting (Dāruvana) rather than a named tīrtha; it supports the forthcoming Guhāvāsī account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.