Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

उत्प्लुत्य तस्य शाखायां न्यग्रोधस्य विहंगमः । सुप्तान्काकान्निजघ्नेऽसावनेकान्वायसांतकः

Transliteration

utplutya tasya śākhāyāṃ nyagrodhasya vihaṃgamaḥ | suptānkākānnijaghne'sāvanekānvāyasāṃtakaḥ

Translation

Bondissant sur la branche de ce nyagródha (banian), l’oiseau—fléau des corbeaux—abattit nombre de corbeaux tandis qu’ils dormaient.

Word by Word

• उत्प्लुत्य: having leapt up
• उत्प्लुत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्-√प्लु (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शाखायाम्: on the branch
• शाखायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न्यग्रोधस्य: of the banyan tree
• न्यग्रोधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विहङ्गमः: the bird
• विहङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुप्तान्: sleeping
• सुप्तान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त

• काकान्: crows
• काकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निजघ्ने: struck/killed
• निजघ्ने: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनेकान्: many
• अनेकान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying काकान्)

• वायसान्तकः: slayer of crows
• वायसान्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (destroyer of crows)

Speaker

Narrator (Setukhaṇḍa Purāṇic narration; traditionally Sūta to sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The bhāsa-bird lands on the banyan branch and strikes down multiple sleeping crows; feathers scatter; the scene is swift and brutal under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāsa (bird)
• Nyagrodha (banyan)
• Crows (Kāka/Vāyasa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sleep and complacency in the face of hostility lead to ruin; dharma values alertness and timely protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; it is part of the Setukhaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.