Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्रेषितो वै हनुमता विप्राणां प्रियकाम्यया । धावन्स नृपतिः पश्चादितश्चेतश्च वै तदा

Transliteration

preṣito vai hanumatā viprāṇāṃ priyakāmyayā | dhāvansa nṛpatiḥ paścāditaścetaśca vai tadā

Translation

Il fut certes dépêché par Hanumān, dans le désir d’accomplir ce qui plaît aux brāhmaṇas. Alors le roi se mit à courir derrière eux, allant çà et là.

Word by Word

• प्रेषितः: sent
• प्रेषितः: Kriya (Predicate-participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √इष् (धातु) / √प्रेष् (धातु-प्रयोग) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (sent)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• हनुमता: by Hanumān
• हनुमता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हनुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• प्रियकाम्यया: out of desire to please
• प्रियकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + काम्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √कम् (धातु) + यत्/ण्यत्-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (desire for what is dear)

• धावन्: running
• धावन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धाव् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards/behind
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (after/behind)

• इतश्: from here/this way
• इतश्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (from here/this side)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• इतश्: from there/that way
• इतश्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (from there/that side; here used distributively)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, urged by Hanumān’s command, runs in pursuit through forest paths, attendants struggling to keep pace; sense of mission to aid brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Brāhmaṇas (Vipra)
• King (Nṛpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the righteous (vipras) and obedience to divine guidance (Hanumān) are portrayed as dharmic priorities even for a king.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya sacred setting frames the episode, highlighting the forest-region as a stage where dharma and bhakti are enacted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the dharmic act emphasized is vipra-sevā (seeking the brāhmaṇas’ welfare and favor).