Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ताभिः सार्धं प्रयातास्मि देवराजनिवेशनात् । ततः पश्यामहे सर्वा ब्राह्मणं चानिकेतनम्

Transliteration

tābhiḥ sārdhaṃ prayātāsmi devarājaniveśanāt | tataḥ paśyāmahe sarvā brāhmaṇaṃ cāniketanam

Translation

„Mit ihnen zog ich aus der Wohnstatt des Königs der Götter fort. Dann sahen wir alle einen Brahmanen, einen ohne feste Bleibe.“

Word by Word

• tābhiḥ: with them
• tābhiḥ: Sahakāraka (Instrument/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdha (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverb) ‘सह/समम्’

• prayātā: having gone/setting out
• prayātā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yā (या धातु) + prayāta (प्रयात-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृत्/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘gone/started’ (with ‘asmi’)

• asmi: I am (i.e., I went)
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘prayātā asmi’ = periphrastic perfect sense

• devarāja-niveśanāt: from the dwelling of the king of gods
• devarāja-niveśanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devarāja (प्रातिपदिक) + niveśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘देवराजस्य निवेशनम्’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘ततः’ = then/from there

• paśyāmahe: we see
• paśyāmahe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sarvāḥ: all (of us)
• sarvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘वयम्’ (implicit) का समूह-निर्देशः

• brāhmaṇam: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• aniketanam: homeless/without a dwelling
• aniketanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + niketana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः (prefixal negation): ‘निकेतनं न यस्य/न निकेतनम्’ = homeless; ‘ब्राह्मणम्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Varcā (Apsaras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devarāṇya (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five apsarases traveling from Indra’s dwelling enter a forest and behold a solitary brāhmaṇa without a home; the moment is a ‘first sighting’ charged with destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Devarāja (Indra)
• Brāhmaṇa (unnamed ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual authority may appear outwardly destitute; renunciation and homelessness can signify deep tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific earthly tīrtha is named; the scene references Indra’s celestial abode and a forest setting implied by context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse advances the story toward an encounter with an ascetic.