Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

विघ्नं करोति दुष्टोऽसौ दंपत्योः सततं भुवि । महाघोरतरं कर्म कुर्वंस्तस्मिन्पुरे वरे

Transliteration

vighnaṃ karoti duṣṭo'sau daṃpatyoḥ satataṃ bhuvi | mahāghorataraṃ karma kurvaṃstasminpure vare

Translation

Jener Bösewicht bereitete den Ehepaaren auf Erden unablässig Hindernisse und verübte in jener erhabenen Stadt Taten von größtem Grauen.

Word by Word

• विघ्नम्: obstacle, hindrance
• विघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करोति: makes, causes
• करोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• दुष्टः: wicked
• दुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् असौ प्रति

• असौ: that man, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दम्पत्योः: of the couple
• दम्पत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• सततम्: always, constantly
• सततम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नित्यत्वार्थक/adverb)

• भुवि: on earth, in the world
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महाघोरतरम्: more extremely terrible
• महाघोरतरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोरतर (प्रातिपदिक: महा + घोर + तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् कर्म प्रति

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, committing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वरे: excellent, best
• वरे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् पुरे प्रति

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-pura (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a prosperous sacred city, a wicked figure stalks and blocks couples—closing gates, setting traps, inciting fear—while the city’s temples and yajña-vedis fall silent in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya (context)
• Dānava/Asura (unnamed)
• Pura (the sacred settlement/city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where dharma is meant to thrive, forces of vighna intensify—prompting communal and divine response to restore order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “excellent city” within the Dharmāraṇya setting is implied as a sacred settlement associated with the forest-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes obstruction rather than instruction.