Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सिंहैर्व्याघ्रैर्वराहैश्च गजैश्चैव महोत्कटैः । महिषैश्च महाकायैः कुरङ्गैश्चित्रकैः शशैः

Transliteration

siṃhairvyāghrairvarāhaiśca gajaiścaiva mahotkaṭaiḥ | mahiṣaiśca mahākāyaiḥ kuraṅgaiścitrakaiḥ śaśaiḥ

Translation

ସେଇ ବନରେ ସିଂହ, ବ୍ୟାଘ୍ର ଓ ବରାହ, ଏବଂ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରବଳ ଗଜମାନେ ବାସ କରୁଥିଲେ; ମହାକାୟ ମହିଷ, ଏବଂ କୁରଙ୍ଗ, ଚିତ୍ରକ (ଚିତଳ ହରିଣ) ଓ ଶଶ (ଖରଗୋଶ) ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଠାରେ ଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• सिंहैः: with lions
• सिंहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• व्याघ्रैः: with tigers
• व्याघ्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• वराहैः: with boars
• वराहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• गजैः: with elephants
• गजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (particle: ‘indeed/just’)

• महोत्कटैः: very formidable
• महोत्कटैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महान्तः उत्कटाः’)—‘गजैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महिषैः: with buffaloes
• महिषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• महाकायैः: huge-bodied
• महाकायैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महान् कायः येषाम्’/‘महाकायाः’)—‘महिषैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कुरङ्गैः: with antelopes/deer
• कुरङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• चित्रकैः: with spotted deer (citraka)
• चित्रकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शशैः: with hares
• शशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra araṇya (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense forest clearing where elephants and buffaloes graze at a distance; deer and hares in the foreground; hints of lions/tigers/boars deeper in shadow—conveying majesty rather than violence; pilgrims proceed cautiously.

Characters & Entities

• Siṃha
• Vyāghra
• Varāha
• Gaja
• Mahiṣa
• Kuraṅga
• Citraka (spotted deer)
• Śaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is shown as a power that orders even the wild—strength and gentleness coexist within a sanctified domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vindhya āśrama-forest region described in Revākhaṇḍa, presented as a flourishing sacred habitat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the sacred setting that frames later tīrtha and dharma teachings.