Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ते च ब्राह्मणशार्दूलास्त्यक्त्वा वेदध्वनिं ततः । मूकीभावं गताः सर्वे भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः

Transliteration

te ca brāhmaṇaśārdūlāstyaktvā vedadhvaniṃ tataḥ | mūkībhāvaṃ gatāḥ sarve bhayasaṃtrastamānasāḥ

Translation

Aquellos brāhmaṇas, cual tigres, dejaron el sonido de la recitación védica; todos quedaron mudos, con la mente estremecida por el temor.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ब्राह्मणशार्दूलाः: tiger-like (excellent) brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणशार्दूलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (ब्राह्मणः एव शार्दूलः—श्रेष्ठः)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having abandoned’

• वेदध्वनिम्: sound of the Veda (Vedic chant)
• वेदध्वनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य ध्वनिः)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Apadana/Temporal (source/then)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• मूकीभावम्: state of muteness
• मूकीभावम्: Gati/Karma (goal/state as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूकी-भाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मूकीत्वस्य भावः)

• गताः: went; entered
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; गत्यर्थे ‘gone/entered’ (finite verb sense)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (विशेषण)

• भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः: whose minds were terrified by fear
• भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-संत्रस्त-मानस (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (भयेन संत्रस्तं मानसं येषाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; specific speaker not present in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmin officiants in a yajña pavilion suddenly fall silent; mouths closed mid-chant, hands frozen with ladles and kuśa grass; faces show fear; the fire still burns, but the atmosphere turns tense and heavy.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• Veda (vedadhvani)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is challenged, even sacred speech can pause; fear arises where righteousness is about to judge wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this specific verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly references Vedic chanting within yajña, but gives no instruction.