Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

सृगालवानरावाशु विलंघितमहापथौ । धनुष्कोटिं प्रयासेन गत्वा स्नात्वा च तज्जले

Transliteration

sṛgālavānarāvāśu vilaṃghitamahāpathau | dhanuṣkoṭiṃ prayāsena gatvā snātvā ca tajjale

Translation

Der Schakal und der Affe überschritten eilends den großen Weg; mit Mühe gelangten sie nach Dhanuskoṭi und badeten in dessen Wasser.

Word by Word

• सृगालवानरौ: the jackal and the monkey
• सृगालवानरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृगाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विलङ्घितमहापथौ: having crossed the great road
• विलङ्घितमहापथौ: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलङ्घित (कृदन्त; √लङ्घ् (धातु) + वि उपसर्ग; क्त) + महापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• धनुष्कोटिम्: to Dhanuṣkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयासेन: with effort
• प्रयासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular) (समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन)

• जले: in the water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narration continues from 67)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: धनुष्कोटि

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (assembled sages/audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jackal and a monkey, dusty from travel, hurry across a broad road toward a wind-swept seashore; they step into the shimmering waters at Dhanuskoṭi to bathe, with the Setu-coastline and distant sandbars visible.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dhanuskoṭi
• Sṛgāla (jackal)
• Vānara (monkey)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere effort toward a sacred destination and performing tīrtha-snānā is portrayed as a direct path to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi, reached for bathing in its sanctifying waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing/immersion) in the waters of Dhanuskoṭi.