Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गिरिं रैवतकं नाम सर्वर्तुकुसुमोज्ज्वलम् । तत्र गत्वा निजामात्यैः समं मन्त्र्य च सत्व रम् । इन्द्रोपरि ततश्चक्रे यानं युद्धपरीप्सया

Transliteration

giriṃ raivatakaṃ nāma sarvartukusumojjvalam | tatra gatvā nijāmātyaiḥ samaṃ mantrya ca satva ram | indropari tataścakre yānaṃ yuddhaparīpsayā

Translation

അവൻ സർവ്വഋതുക്കളിലെ പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ദീപ്തമായ റൈവതകം എന്ന പർവ്വതത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി. അവിടെ സ്വന്തം മന്ത്രിമാരോടൊപ്പം വേഗത്തിൽ ആലോചിച്ച്, യുദ്ധാഭിലാഷത്തോടെ ഇന്ദ്രനോടു നേരെ പുറപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• गिरिम्: mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• रैवतकं: named Raivataka
• रैवतकं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रैवतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गिरिम्)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देशक (particle: ‘by name’)

• सर्वर्तुकुसुमोज्ज्वलम्: bright with flowers in all seasons
• सर्वर्तुकुसुमोज्ज्वलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ऋतु-कुसुम-उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गिरिम्); समासः—षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (‘all-seasons’ + ‘flowers’ + ‘bright’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (‘having gone’)

• निजामात्यैः: with his own ministers
• निजामात्यैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि; instrumental accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज-अमात्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘own’ + ‘ministers’)

• समम्: together
• समम्: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (‘together/along with’)

• मन्त्र्य: having consulted
• मन्त्र्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्र् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); ‘having consulted/advised’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (‘quickly/hastily’)

• इन्द्रोपरि: upon Indra (above/over Indra)
• इन्द्रोपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इन्द्र-उपरि (अव्यय; समास/योग)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; उपरि-शब्देन सह (‘upon/over Indra’)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (‘then/from there’)

• चक्रे: made/undertook
• चक्रे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद/आत्मनेपद?); आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; रूपम्—चक्रे (perfect, ‘did/made’)

• यानम्: a march/journey
• यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युद्धपरीप्सया: with the desire for battle
• युद्धपरीप्सया: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध-परि-ईप्सा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘desire for battle’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raivataka-giri

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view of Raivataka mountain covered in blossoms across all seasons; Vṛka arrives with ministers and retinue, holding a council, then sets forth upward/skyward toward Indra’s realm for battle.

Characters & Entities

• Raivataka
• Indra
• Vṛka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without dharmic restraint turns toward conquest; Purāṇic stories show how boons can catalyze conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raivataka mountain is explicitly mentioned and praised as ever-flowering, a hallmark of sacred-geography description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates strategic counsel and a military march rather than a rite.