Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ते दृष्ट्वा मुनयः सर्वे शरेण निहतं मुनिम् । तत्पत्नीं च हतां विप्रा राजानं च धनुर्धरम्

Transliteration

te dṛṣṭvā munayaḥ sarve śareṇa nihataṃ munim | tatpatnīṃ ca hatāṃ viprā rājānaṃ ca dhanurdharam

Translation

Tous ces sages, voyant l’ascète abattu par une flèche—et son épouse également tuée—virent aussi, ô brāhmaṇas, le roi, l’homme portant l’arc, se tenant là.

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• śareṇa: by an arrow
• śareṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• nihatam: slain
• nihatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√han (धातु) + ta (क्त, PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• munim: the sage
• munim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tatpatnīm: his wife
• tatpatnīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): tat-patnī; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction), अव्यय

• hatām: slain
• hatām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) + ta (क्त, PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• rājānam: the king
• rājānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction), अव्यय

• dhanurdharam: the bow-bearer (archer)
• dhanurdharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/षष्ठी-भाव): dhanus-dhara; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages stands aghast: an ascetic lies pierced by an arrow, his wife slain beside him; nearby stands a king holding a bow, frozen in shock or guilt; the forest hermitage and cave-mouth frame the tableau.

Characters & Entities

• munayaḥ (sages)
• muni (sage)
• rājā (king)
• dhanurdhara (archer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is answerable to dharma; when rulers transgress, the judgment of the wise and the moral law confront them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa context is Setu/Rāmeśvaram, though this verse focuses on the ethical incident witnessed by sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.