Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

मार्गं त्यक्त्वा गतोऽरण्यं नरो विध्येत कण्टकैः । बलार्द्धिस्येत वा हिंस्रैर्यदा त्यक्तसमा गमः

Transliteration

mārgaṃ tyaktvā gato'raṇyaṃ naro vidhyeta kaṇṭakaiḥ | balārddhisyeta vā hiṃsrairyadā tyaktasamā gamaḥ

Translation

A man who abandons the path and goes into the forest is pierced by thorns, or is torn by fierce beasts—so too, when right association is forsaken.

Word by Word

• mārgam: path
• mārgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tyaj (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• gataḥ: gone
• gataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• araṇyam: to the forest
• araṇyam: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vidhyeta: would be pierced
• vidhyeta: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vyadh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे अर्थः (would be pierced)

• kaṇṭakaiḥ: by thorns
• kaṇṭakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• balāt: forcibly
• balāt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial: forcibly)

• ṛddhisyeta: would prosper/increase
• ṛddhisyeta: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ṛdh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (would prosper/increase)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• hiṃsraiḥ: by violent (creatures)
• hiṃsraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṃsra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of beings implied)

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: when)

• tyakta-samāgamaḥ: having abandoned proper association/companionship
• tyakta-samāgamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (tyaj धातु, क्त) + samāgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (one whose association is abandoned/abandoned association); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of naraḥ)

Speaker

Sumedhā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler leaving a clear road into dense forest; thorns snagging feet and wild beasts lurking—an allegory for forsaking right association and guidance.

Characters & Entities

• Sumedhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leaving the dharmic path and proper association leads to inevitable harm, just as straying into wilderness invites danger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised; the forest is used as a moral metaphor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it advises satsaṅga and staying on the dharmic ‘path’.