Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कर्णाटस्य वधोपायं मंत्रयंति द्विजर्षभाः । विचार्यमाणे तैर्दैवाद्वाग्जाता चाशरीरिणी

Transliteration

karṇāṭasya vadhopāyaṃ maṃtrayaṃti dvijarṣabhāḥ | vicāryamāṇe tairdaivādvāgjātā cāśarīriṇī

Translation

Les sages dvija, puissants comme des taureaux, délibéraient du moyen de mettre à mort Karṇāṭa. Tandis qu’ils y réfléchissaient, par la volonté du destin, une voix sans corps s’éleva et parla.

Word by Word

• कर्णाटस्य: of Karṇāṭa
• कर्णाटस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• वधोपायम्: means of killing
• वधोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वधस्य उपायः)

• मन्त्रयन्ति: they deliberate/consult
• मन्त्रयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्विजर्षभाः: best of the twice-born
• द्विजर्षभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः ‘द्विजानां ऋषभाः’ (best among brahmins)

• विचार्यमाणे: while (it was) being discussed
• विचार्यमाणे: Sati-saptami (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle, शानच्/यमान); सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; लोकेटिव्-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध) = ‘while being considered’

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दैवात्: by fate
• दैवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = ‘by fate/from destiny’

• वाक्: a voice/speech
• वाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जाता: arose/was born
• जाता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक् इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• अशरीरिणी: bodiless
• अशरीरिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (शरीरं न अस्ति यस्याः)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta-style narration within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages in intense discussion about defeating Karṇāṭa; suddenly a luminous, unseen voice indicated by a radiant aura in the sky, all heads turned upward in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Karṇāṭa
• Dvijarṣabhās (eminent Brāhmaṇas)
• Aśarīriṇī Vāk (disembodied voice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is endangered, divine guidance can arise to direct action toward a righteous resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it emphasizes divine intervention within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the verse introduces an oracle-like instruction that will guide the next steps.