Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विमानेषु विचित्रेषु संस्थिताः सर्वतोदिशम् । वांछितेषु च लोकेषु यामो ध्वजपताकिषु

Transliteration

vimāneṣu vicitreṣu saṃsthitāḥ sarvatodiśam | vāṃchiteṣu ca lokeṣu yāmo dhvajapatākiṣu

Translation

ഞങ്ങൾ വിചിത്രമായ ദിവ്യവിമാനങ്ങളിൽ സർവ്വദിക്കുകളിലും നിലകൊണ്ട്, ധ്വജപതാകകളാൽ അലങ്കൃതരായി, ഇഷ്ടലോകങ്ങളിലേക്കു യാത്ര ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• vimāneṣu: in aerial cars, chariots
• vimāneṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• vicitreṣu: variegated, wondrous
• vicitreṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (vimāneṣu)

• saṃsthitāḥ: stationed, situated
• saṃsthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsthita (कृदन्त; √sthā (धातु) क्त, sam-उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• sarvataḥ: on all sides
• sarvataḥ: Desha (Direction/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb: from all sides/everywhere)

• diśam: direction, quarter
• diśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; दिगर्थे (as extent/direction)

• vāṃchiteṣu: desired, wished-for
• vāṃchiteṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāṃchita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √vāñch (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (lokeṣu)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• lokeṣu: in worlds
• lokeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• yāmaḥ: we go
• yāmaḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; ‘यामः’ = we go

• dhvaja-patākiṣu: in (those) with banners and flags
• dhvaja-patākiṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक) + patākā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (dhvaja + patākā); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (vimāneṣu)

Speaker

Pitṛs

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/meritorious souls seated in ornate celestial vimānas moving in all directions across a luminous sky, each car crowned with fluttering banners and pennants, suggesting freedom to travel to desired realms.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Vimānas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit and dharma are portrayed as granting freedom of movement and honor in higher realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive of Pitṛ status and heavenly reward.