Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

उपविष्टोऽन्धकस्तत्र शक्रस्यैवासने शुभे । आस्थानं कलयामास सर्वतस्त्रिदशावृतम्

Transliteration

upaviṣṭo'ndhakastatra śakrasyaivāsane śubhe | āsthānaṃ kalayāmāsa sarvatastridaśāvṛtam

Translation

อันธกะนั่งลง ณ ที่นั้นบนอาสนะมงคลของศักระเอง แล้วเริ่มทอดพระเนตรท้องพระโรง ซึ่งถูกโอบล้อมรอบด้านด้วยเหล่าตรีทศะ (ทวยเทพ)

Word by Word

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Kriyā (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + विश् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past active participle), पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• आसने: on the seat
• आसने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (आसनं विशेषयति)

• आस्थानम्: court / assembly-hall
• आस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• कलयामास: observed / regarded
• कलयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूतः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः कल् (to observe/consider)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Spatial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सर्वदिक्/सर्वतः (from all sides)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्

• आवृतम्: surrounded
• आवृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + वृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle) विशेषणरूपेण; नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (आस्थानं विशेषयति)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa or a section-narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka seated on Indra’s auspicious throne, calmly scanning the assembly; devas ring the hall, tense and watchful.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Indra (Śakra)
• Tridaśas (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Improper authority arises when rightful guardianship weakens; the verse dramatizes the usurpation of divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it depicts Indra’s celestial assembly hall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.