Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एवं तयोः सुतो विप्रा मुक्तकण्ठं रुरोद वै । अथ प्रलपितं श्रुत्वा शंकरो विपिने चरन्

Transliteration

evaṃ tayoḥ suto viprā muktakaṇṭhaṃ ruroda vai | atha pralapitaṃ śrutvā śaṃkaro vipine caran

Translation

Ainsi, ô brāhmaṇas, leur fils pleura à gorge déployée, sans retenue. Alors Śaṅkara, errant dans la forêt, entendit sa lamentation.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय

• tayoḥ: of those two
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprāḥ: O brahmins
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• muktakaṇṭham: with unrestrained voice (aloud)
• muktakaṇṭham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: mukta-kaṇṭha; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ruroda: wept
• ruroda: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rud (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर (conjunctive/then), अव्यय

• pralapitam: lamentation, wailing
• pralapitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-√lap (धातु) + ta (क्त, PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (PPP used as noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; 'having heard'

• śaṃkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṃkaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vipine: in the forest
• vipine: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• caran: wandering
• caran: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Concurrent action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ, present participle)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young brāhmaṇa son cries aloud in the forest; in the distance Śaṅkara, as a wandering ascetic, pauses mid-step, head turned toward the sound, indicating immediate divine attention.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• putra (son)
• vipina (forest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is not distant—Śiva hears the cry of the afflicted, and compassion becomes the turning point in a dharmic crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa generally glorifies Setu/Rāmeśvaram; this verse introduces Śiva’s presence within the narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.