Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

अयासीदर्धमार्गे तु तक्षकेण निवारितः । चिकित्सितुं समर्थोऽपि विषरोगादिपीडितम्

Transliteration

ayāsīdardhamārge tu takṣakeṇa nivāritaḥ | cikitsituṃ samartho'pi viṣarogādipīḍitam

Translation

„Du warst aufgebrochen, doch auf halbem Wege wurdest du von Takṣaka aufgehalten—obwohl du imstande warst, einen von Gift, Krankheit und dergleichen Geplagten zu heilen.“

Word by Word

• ayāsīt: went
• ayāsīt: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग 'a-' (अगच्छत्/अयासीत् = went)

• ardhamārge: midway/on half the path
• ardhamārge: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय (ardhaḥ mārgaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case/locative), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• takṣakeṇa: by Takṣaka
• takṣakeṇa: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/करण/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: takṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• nivāritaḥ: was prevented
• nivāritaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicative (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√vṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि 'bhavān' (implicit)

• cikitsitum: to treat
• cikitsitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cikits (धातु) + tumun (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive): 'to treat'

• samarthaḥ: capable
• samarthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'bhavān' (implicit) इति विशेषण

• api: even/though
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (even/also)

• viṣarogādipīḍitam: afflicted by poison, disease, etc.
• viṣarogādipīḍitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣa + roga + ādi + pīḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: (viṣa-roga-ādi) इति तत्पुरुष-समाहार + pīḍita (kta-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'parīkṣitam/mahārājam' (implicit) इति विशेषण

Speaker

Śākalya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dynamic vignette: Kāśyapa traveling with a medicine pouch, halted by Takṣaka (serpent-king) on the road; the healer’s capability is emphasized by herbs, antidote vessel, or mantra gestures.

Characters & Entities

• Śākalya
• Kāśyapa
• Takṣaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Competence creates obligation: if one can relieve suffering, failing to do so (even through being deterred) becomes a dharma-question demanding scrutiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the ethical narrative within Setu-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the subject is medical capability (cikitsā) and the duty to protect life.