Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अप्सरां मेनकां रम्भां घृताचीं च तिलोत्तमाम् । वसन्तं कोकिलं कामं दक्षिणानिलमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

apsarāṃ menakāṃ rambhāṃ ghṛtācīṃ ca tilottamām | vasantaṃ kokilaṃ kāmaṃ dakṣiṇānilamuttamam

Translation

اس نے اپسرا میناکا، رمبھا، گھرتاچی اور تلوتمہ کو بلایا؛ اور ساتھ ہی بسنت، کوئل، کام دیو اور بہترین جنوبی ہوا کو بھی طلب کیا۔

Word by Word

• अप्सराम्: the apsaras (nymph)
• अप्सराम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मेनकाम्: Menakā
• मेनकाम्: Karma (Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रम्भाम्: Rambhā
• रम्भाम्: Karma (Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घृताचीम्: Ghṛtācī
• घृताचीम्: Karma (Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृताची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• तिलोत्तमाम्: Tilottamā
• तिलोत्तमाम्: Karma (Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वसन्तम्: Spring (personified)
• वसन्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कोकिलम्: cuckoo
• कोकिलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोकिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कामम्: Kāma (god of love)
• कामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दक्षिणानिलम्: the southern breeze
• दक्षिणानिलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण + अनिल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दक्षिणः अनिलः = southern wind)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra’s summons manifests as a radiant procession: Menakā, Rambhā, Ghṛtācī, Tilottamā appear with Spring personified, the cuckoo, Kāma with sugarcane bow, and a fragrant southern breeze swirling blossoms.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (implied commander)
• Menakā
• Rambhā
• Ghṛtācī
• Tilottamā
• Vasanta
• Kokila
• Kāma
• Dakṣiṇānila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temptation is depicted as an organized force—beauty, season, sound, and desire—testing ascetic resolve and revealing the depth of spiritual steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it belongs to the backstory that will culminate in the Narmadā-bank tīrtha account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists the agents marshalled to create a ‘vighna’ (obstacle) to austerity.