Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पथि प्रव्रजतो यावत्ताडकानाम राक्षसी । तावदागम्य पुरतस्तस्थौ वै विघ्नकारणात्

Transliteration

pathi pravrajato yāvattāḍakānāma rākṣasī | tāvadāgamya puratastasthau vai vighnakāraṇāt

Translation

وبينما كانا يسيران في الطريق، جاءت الراكشَسِيّ المسماة تادَكا أمامهما ووقفت هناك، قاصدةً إحداث العرقلة.

Word by Word

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रव्रजतः: of the two who were going forth
• प्रव्रजतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (genitive dual)

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाण/काल-पर्यन्तबोधक अव्यय (correlative: as long as/until)

• ताडका: Tāḍakā
• ताडका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताडका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable: ‘by name/namely’)

• राक्षसी: a demoness
• राक्षसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ताडकाया विशेषणरूपेणापि

• तावत्: then/just then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: तावत्-शब्दः (correlative: then/so long/just then)

• आगम्य: having come
• आगम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in front)

• तस्थौ: stood
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विघ्नकारणात्: because of (being) a cause of obstruction
• विघ्नकारणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tāḍakā-vana (vighna-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a narrow forest track, Tāḍakā—formidable, shadowed, towering—blocks the way; Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa halt, hands near bowstrings; Viśvāmitra stands composed behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Tāḍakā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s path often meets obstruction; steadfastness and righteous courage are required to remove forces that hinder sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it describes a journey episode and the arising of an obstacle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated; the verse highlights vighna (hindrance) in the context of protecting sacred aims.