Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

एनामारुह मच्छाखां शतयोजनमायताम् । स्थित्वात्र गजकूर्मौ त्वं भक्षयस्व खगोत्तम

Transliteration

enāmāruha macchākhāṃ śatayojanamāyatām | sthitvātra gajakūrmau tvaṃ bhakṣayasva khagottama

Translation

“ശതയോജന നീളമുള്ള എന്റെ ഈ കൊമ്പിൽ കയറുക. ഇവിടെ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ഖഗോത്തമാ, ഗജത്തെയും കച്ചപത്തെയും ഭക്ഷിക്ക.”

Word by Word

• enām: this (her/it)
• enām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एना’ (इदम्-शब्दस्य)

• āruha: climb
• āruha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातुः रुह् (आरोहे) उपसर्गः आ

• mat-śākhām: my branch
• mat-śākhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मम शाखा)

• śata-yojanam: a hundred yojanas (in measure)
• śata-yojanam: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (शतं योजनानि प्रमाणम्) विशेषणम् (āyatām)

• āyatām: extended, long
• āyatām: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (śākhām)

• sthitvā: having stood
• sthitvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); धातुः स्था (स्थितौ)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• gaja-kūrmau: the elephant and the tortoise
• gaja-kūrmau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + kūrma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (गजश्च कूर्मश्च)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhakṣayasva: eat
• bhakṣayasva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातुः भक्ष् (भक्षणे)

• khaga-uttama: O best of birds
• khaga-uttama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (खगानाम् उत्तमः)

Speaker

Rohiṇā tree (within Kaśyapa’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viḷambā

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rohiṇā offers a vast branch stretching a hundred yojanas; Garuḍa alights upon it with elephant and tortoise, preparing to devour them while sages watch from a safe distance, the river glinting below.

Characters & Entities

• Rohiṇā (tree)
• Vainateya (Garuḍa)
• Gaja (elephant)
• Kūrma (tortoise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places guide action toward resolution of karmic knots; divine-scale events unfold with nature’s cooperation in tīrtha realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs at/near Viḷambā tīrtha within the Setukhaṇḍa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative direction, not a ritual injunction.