Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

मज्जंतो मम्रिरे केचित्केचिद्ग्राहोदरं गताः । राजपुत्रादयः केचिन्नादृश्यंत महाजले

Transliteration

majjaṃto mamrire kecitkecidgrāhodaraṃ gatāḥ | rājaputrādayaḥ kecinnādṛśyaṃta mahājale

Translation

Einige, die versanken, starben; andere wurden in die Bäuche der Krokodile gerissen. Und manche—allen voran der Prinz—waren in jener gewaltigen Wasserflut nicht mehr zu sehen.

Word by Word

• मज्जन्तः: sinking (ones)
• मज्जन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मम्रिरे: died
• मम्रिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• ग्राहोदरम्: the belly of a crocodile
• ग्राहोदरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘ग्राहस्य उदरम्’)

• गताः: gone, entered
• गताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• राजपुत्रादयः: princes and others
• राजपुत्रादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘राजपुत्राः’ + ‘आदयः’ = ‘princes and others’)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अदृश्यन्त: were visible/appeared
• अदृश्यन्त: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘अदृश्यन्त’ = ‘were seen/appeared’ (intransitive passive sense)

• महाजले: in the great water (flood)
• महाजले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महज्जलम्’)

Speaker

Narrator (context not provided; likely Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamunā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Turbulent river with whirlpools; bodies sinking; crocodiles surfacing with open jaws; a royal youth (prince) vanishing beneath the surface while onlookers scream from the banks.

Characters & Entities

• Prince (rājaputra)
• Crocodiles (grāha)
• Great waters (mahājala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores impermanence and the fragility of embodied life, even for the royal and the strong.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is set in the waters of the Yamunā, but no particular tīrtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.