Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

गते शीर्षे च ते देवा भृशमु द्विग्नमानसाः । धावंति सर्वतः सर्वे शिरआलोकनाय ते

Transliteration

gate śīrṣe ca te devā bhṛśamu dvignamānasāḥ | dhāvaṃti sarvataḥ sarve śiraālokanāya te

Translation

Lorsque la tête eut disparu, ces dieux — le cœur grandement anxieux — coururent dans toutes les directions, tous autant qu'ils étaient, pour chercher la tête.

Word by Word

• गते: when (it had) gone
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शीर्षे: when the head (was gone)
• शीर्षे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'excessively')

• उ: indeed (emphasis)
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/निपात (expletive particle)

• द्विग्नमानसाः: disturbed in mind
• द्विग्नमानसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विग्न-मानस (प्रातिपदिक; द्विग्न + मानस)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धावन्ति: run about
• धावन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सर्वतः: everywhere
• सर्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'from all sides/everywhere')

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आलोकनाय: to see/for looking
• आलोकनाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive/purpose), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति-अर्थ (dative sense: 'for')

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the head has gone, the gods, deeply anxious, run in all directions searching, scanning the sky and horizons to locate it.

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings face confusion when pride or māyā intervenes; steadiness and right counsel are needed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of the devas’ reaction.