Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गण्डकैश्चैव खड्गैश्च गोमायुसुरभी युतम् । सारङ्गैर्मल्लकैश्चैव द्विपदैश्च चतुष्पदैः

Transliteration

gaṇḍakaiścaiva khaḍgaiśca gomāyusurabhī yutam | sāraṅgairmallakaiścaiva dvipadaiśca catuṣpadaiḥ

Translation

وہ جنگل گنڈک اور کھڈگ جیسے جانوروں سے بھی بھرا ہوا تھا؛ گومایو (گیڈر) اور خوشبودار مخلوقات کے ساتھ، سارنگ اور ملّک ہرنوں کے ساتھ، اور دو پاؤں اور چار پاؤں والے بے شمار جانداروں سے معمور تھا۔

Word by Word

• गण्डकैः: with rhinoceroses
• गण्डकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• खड्गैः: with swords (or: with rhinoceroses, if खड्ग=गण्डक)
• खड्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• गोमायु-सुरभी: jackals and fragrant (creatures) / jackals and (others)
• गोमायु-सुरभी: Karta/Adheya (Subject-like descriptor/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमायु (प्रातिपदिक) + सुरभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/इतरेतर-प्राय)

• युतम्: endowed/associated (with)
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• सारङ्गैः: with deer (sāraṅga)
• सारङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मल्लकैः: with malla-birds/creatures called mallaka
• मल्लकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• द्विपदैः: with bipeds
• द्विपदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्व)

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

• चतुष्पदैः: with quadrupeds
• चतुष्पदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्व)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra-vana (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense, living forest on a riverbank teeming with varied wild animals—gaṇḍaka and khaḍga beasts, jackals, fragrant musk-bearing creatures, deer—moving among trees and undergrowth, suggesting a sacred, protected ecology.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇḍaka
• Khaḍga
• Gomāyu
• Sāraṅga
• Mallaka
• Dvipada
• Catuṣpada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha-region is portrayed as complete and protected—supporting all classes of beings, human and animal alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Vindhya sacred forest/āśrama landscape within the Revākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the māhātmya-style glorification of the locale’s auspicious fullness.