Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा दारुणं वाक्यं दुःसहं दुःप्रधर्षणम् । रामाज्ञाकारिणो दूता गताः सर्वे दिशो दश

Transliteration

tacchrutvā dāruṇaṃ vākyaṃ duḥsahaṃ duḥpradharṣaṇam | rāmājñākāriṇo dūtā gatāḥ sarve diśo daśa

Translation

Entendant cet ordre sévère, difficile à endurer et difficile à transgresser, les messagers exécutant les ordres de Rāma partirent dans les dix directions.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘vākyaṃ’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) → śrutvā (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having heard’

• dāruṇam: terrible
• dāruṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘vākyaṃ’

• vākyam: statement/command
• vākyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• duḥsaham: hard to bear
• duḥsaham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥsaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘vākyaṃ’

• duḥpradharṣaṇam: hard to resist/overpower
• duḥpradharṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥ-pradharṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘vākyaṃ’; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (duḥ + pradharṣaṇam)

• rāma-ājñā-kāriṇaḥ: obedient to Rama’s command
• rāma-ājñā-kāriṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + ājñā (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘dūtāḥ’; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rāmasya ājñāyāḥ kāriṇaḥ = obeyers of Rama’s command)

• dūtāḥ: messengers
• dūtāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• gatāḥ: went
• gatāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः विधेयवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘(they) went’

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘dūtāḥ’

• diśaḥ: directions
• diśaḥ: Karman (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (directions as goal)

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Saṅkhyā-viśeṣaṇa (Numeral qualifier/संख्याविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे ‘diśaḥ’ विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Messengers, having heard a severe royal order, depart rapidly—some on foot, some mounted—splitting toward the ten directions from the palace gate.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Dūtas (messengers)
• Ten directions

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is prioritized, decisive action is taken to fulfill sacred obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s rite-centered setting motivates a wide-reaching summons across the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Operational instruction: dispatch emissaries broadly to gather the invited brāhmaṇas.