Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्भ्यः पापयोनिभ्यः सदा विचरता वने । न च शोकस्त्वया कार्यः सर्वेषां मरणं धुवम्

Transliteration

tiryagbhyaḥ pāpayonibhyaḥ sadā vicaratā vane | na ca śokastvayā kāryaḥ sarveṣāṃ maraṇaṃ dhuvam

Translation

Wenn du beständig im Wald umherziehst, hüte dich vor den Tieren und vor Menschen von schädlicher Gesinnung. Und gib dich nicht der Trauer hin, denn der Tod ist für alle gewiss.

Word by Word

• tiryagbhyaḥ: from animals
• tiryagbhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Ablative plural: 'from animals')

• pāpa-yonibhyaḥ: from evil-born (creatures)
• pāpa-yonibhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापा योनिः येषाम्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (yoni), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• vicaratā: while roaming
• vicaratā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर् धातु) + vi + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'त्वया' इत्यस्य विशेषण (agreeing in instr. sg.)

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

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

• śokaḥ: grief
• śokaḥ: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: 'by you')

• kāryaḥ: to be done
• kāryaḥ: Vidhi (Prohibition/विधि-निषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (√kṛ धातु + यत्)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be done'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of śokaḥ)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• dhuvam: certain
• dhuvam: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of maraṇam)

Speaker

Mother (unnamed, within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience; within story, addressed to 'tvayā' (the advised person/son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary traveler in a dense forest, alert to animals and hostile figures, yet composed; a subtle symbolic presence of Time/Death in the background (shadow or setting sun).

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize impermanence and remain steady; grief should not overwhelm one who understands death as universal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it is philosophical counsel within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes inner attitude (freedom from excessive grief) and caution.