Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

जपंतः कामिनीयुक्ता विहरंत्यमरा इव । अथ ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि ऊर्ध्वलोकस्य संस्थितिम्

Transliteration

japaṃtaḥ kāminīyuktā viharaṃtyamarā iva | atha te saṃpravakṣyāmi ūrdhvalokasya saṃsthitim

Translation

ജപത്തിൽ ലീനരായി, ദിവ്യകാമിനികളോടുകൂടെ, അവർ അമരന്മാരെപ്പോലെ വിഹരിക്കുന്നു. ഇനി ഞാൻ നിനക്കു ഊർധ്വലോകങ്ങളുടെ സ്ഥിതിയും ക്രമവും വിശദീകരിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• जपन्तः: (those) reciting
• जपन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) → जपत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘japaṃtaḥ’ = doing japa

• कामिनी-युक्ताः: accompanied by women
• कामिनी-युक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुषः: कामिन्या युक्ताः)

• विहरन्ति: they sport; they roam
• विहरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमराः: immortals; gods
• अमराः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इव: like; as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence/transition particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ऊर्ध्वलोकस्य: of the upper world
• ऊर्ध्वलोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारयः: ऊर्ध्वः लोकः)

• संस्थितिम्: the arrangement; the state
• संस्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kauravya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Radiant japa-siddhas in a celestial garden, accompanied by divine consorts, moving like devas; above them, layered luminous spheres hinting at the coming explanation of higher worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Amarāḥ (devas)
• Ūrdhva-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Japa is praised as a cause of exalted post-mortem states, and it introduces a teaching on higher-world cosmology.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse transitions toward a description of the higher realms (ūrdhva-loka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetitive sacred recitation) is the explicit practice.