Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततस्तं तापसाः प्रोचुथंतुं नार्हसि फाल्गुन । बहवो भक्षिता ग्राहै राजानो मुनयस्तथा

Transliteration

tatastaṃ tāpasāḥ procuthaṃtuṃ nārhasi phālguna | bahavo bhakṣitā grāhai rājāno munayastathā

Translation

Da sprachen die Asketen zu ihm: „Du sollst nicht hingehen, o Phālguna. Viele Könige und ebenso Weise sind von den Krokodilen verschlungen worden.“

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/अनन्तर्य), अर्थे—‘ततः’ (then/thereupon)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (him)

• tāpasāḥ: ascetics
• tāpasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (तापस) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• procuḥ: said
• procuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग ‘प्र’ (they said)

• gantum: to go
• gantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘गन्तुम्’ = to go

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• arhasi: you should
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (अर्ह्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘अर्हसि’ = you ought/are fit

• phālguna: O Phalguna (Arjuna)
• phālguna: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phālguna (फाल्गुन) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (बहु) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (many)

• bhakṣitāḥ: were devoured
• bhakṣitāḥ: Karta (Logical subject of passive/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे प्रथमा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhakṣ (भक्ष्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘eaten/devoured’

• grāhaiḥ: by crocodiles
• grāhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāha (ग्राह) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (by crocodiles)

• rājānaḥ: kings
• rājānaḥ: Karta (Logical subject of passive/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Logical subject of passive/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ), अर्थे—‘तथा/also’

Speaker

Tāpasas (ascetics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics with matted hair and deer-skins urgently address Arjuna; in the background, a river eddies with visible crocodile backs and jaws, hinting at past tragedies of kings and sages.

Characters & Entities

• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Grāhas (crocodiles)
• Kings
• Sages

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual counsel includes prudent warning; even heroic intent should listen to the experience of tapasvins before acting.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The feared five tīrthas associated with grāhas; the verse emphasizes their danger rather than naming a new site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition/advice: do not proceed to the dangerous waters for bathing due to the grāhas.