Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अश्वैरुच्चैःश्रवस्तुल्यैर्दंतिभिर्दिग्गजैरिव । इति नानाविधैर्भावैरुपेतेन्द्रपुरी समा

Transliteration

aśvairuccaiḥśravastulyairdaṃtibhirdiggajairiva | iti nānāvidhairbhāvairupetendrapurī samā

Translation

城中有如优钵罗婆（Uccaiḥśravas）般的神骏之马，又有如护方之地象（Diggaja）般的巨象；具足种种殊胜德相，堪与因陀罗之城相媲美。

Word by Word

• अश्वैः: with horses
• अश्वैः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उच्चैःश्रवस्: Uccaiḥśravas (divine horse)
• उच्चैःश्रवस्: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चैःश्रवस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासे पूर्वपद/उपमान (proper noun stem)

• तुल्यैः: equal to, like
• तुल्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासे उत्तरपद (उच्चैःश्रवस्तुल्य)

• दन्तिभिः: with elephants
• दन्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दिक्: direction
• दिक्: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, समासे पूर्वपद (stem)

• गजैः: direction-elephants
• गजैः: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासे उत्तरपद (दिग्गज)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative/thus)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् विशेषण (indeclinable adjective: 'various'), समासे पूर्वपद

• विधैः: kinds, types
• विधैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासे उत्तरपद (नानाविध)

• भावैः: states, qualities
• भावैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उपेता: endowed, possessed
• उपेता: Karta (Subject-predicate agreement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपेत (कृदन्त; उप+√इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'सम्पन्ना/युक्ता' अर्थे

• इन्द्रपुरी: Indra’s city (Amarāvatī)
• इन्द्रपुरी: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + पुरी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रस्य पुरी)

• समा: equal, comparable
• समा: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान-सम्बन्धे (equal to)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Ayodhyā as a celestial metropolis: gleaming palaces, processions of superb horses like Uccaiḥśravas, massive elephants like diggajas, banners, jeweled gateways, and a luminous sky suggesting Amarāvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Uccaiḥśravas
• Indrapurī (Amarāvatī)
• Diggaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma brings divine-like order and prosperity—an ideal capital becomes ‘Indra’s city’ through righteous excellence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, praised as Indrapurī-samā (equal to Indra’s city).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is eulogistic, emphasizing royal prosperity and auspicious qualities.