Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पुनरागत्य वर्षेह्नि ध्वस्तं मधुवनं किल । सप्तम्यां प्रत्यभिज्ञानदानं सर्वनिवेदनम्

Transliteration

punarāgatya varṣehni dhvastaṃ madhuvanaṃ kila | saptamyāṃ pratyabhijñānadānaṃ sarvanivedanam

Translation

De retour, en vérité par un jour de pluie, Madhuvana fut ravagé. Et au septième tithi, le signe de reconnaissance fut remis et tout le récit fut exposé.

Word by Word

• पुनरागत्य: having returned again
• पुनरागत्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + √gam (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्ययम्—ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive); क्रियाविशेषणम्

• वर्षेह्नि: on a rainy day
• वर्षेह्नि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa + ahan (प्रातिपदिक); varṣa-ahan (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (varṣe ahani = 'on a rainy day')

• ध्वस्तम्: destroyed
• ध्वस्तम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhvaṃs (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (madhuvanam)

• मधुवनम्: the Madhu-grove
• मधुवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu + vana (प्रातिपदिक); madhuvana (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (madhuṃ yatra/ madhu-sadṛśaṃ vanaṃ)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (particle; emphasis/reportative)

• सप्तम्याम्: on the seventh (tithi)
• सप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तिथिवाचकः

• प्रत्यभिज्ञानदानम्: giving of recognition/token
• प्रत्यभिज्ञानदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyabhijñāna + dāna (प्रातिपदिक); pratyabhijñāna-dāna (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (pratyabhijñānasya dānam)

• सर्वनिवेदनम्: full disclosure/reporting of everything
• सर्वनिवेदनम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + nivedana (प्रातिपदिक); sarva-nivedana (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sarvasya nivedanam)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madhuvana (Kiṣkindhā-associated grove)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After returning, the vānaras exuberantly ravage Madhuvana; later, on Saptamī, Hanumān presents the recognition-token and delivers the full account to the leaders.

Characters & Entities

• Madhuvana
• Hanumān (implied)
• Rāma (implied via reporting/recognition token)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mission success is sealed by truthful reporting and clear signs of authenticity; dharma values reliable testimony and accountable speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhuvana is mentioned as a notable grove in the narrative, but it is not presented here as a tīrtha with explicit phalaśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse notes saptamī as a time-marker and emphasizes pratyabhijñāna (recognition token) and nivedana (report).