Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अथ प्रभाते विमले पुष्कसी वनमाययौ । अशनार्थं च तस्यान्नमादाय त्वरिता सती

Transliteration

atha prabhāte vimale puṣkasī vanamāyayau | aśanārthaṃ ca tasyānnamādāya tvaritā satī

Translation

Beim reinen, makellosen Morgengrauen ging die Jägerin in den Wald. Speise für die Mahlzeit ihres Gatten mitnehmend, eilte jene tugendhafte Frau dahin.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• प्रभाते: at dawn
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular: at dawn)

• विमले: clear, pure
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (agreeing with प्रभाते: in the clear/pure [dawn])

• पुष्कसी: the Puṣkasī woman
• पुष्कसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (a Puṣkasī woman)

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आययौ: came
• आययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (perfect: came)

• अशनार्थम्: for eating
• अशनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अशनस्य अर्थः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative of purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: of him)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु) → ādāya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: having taken)

• त्वरिता: hurried
• त्वरिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वर् (धातु) → tvarita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (hurried)

• सती: the virtuous woman
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त: अस् धातोः शतृ-स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (a virtuous woman; ‘she’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (frame sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At clear dawn, the virtuous huntress quickly sets out into the forest carrying food for her husband, her urgency tempered by purity and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• puṣkasī (huntress woman)
• vana (forest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is shown through timely effort and selfless service—care for one’s dependent is treated as a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region (Kedārakhaṇḍa), whose narratives frame ordinary actions as spiritually meaningful in a sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse narrates carrying food (annadāna-like intent within the household) and purposeful movement at dawn.