Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सिंहव्याघ्रेभमहिष क्रूरसत्वभयंकरम् । झिल्लिकाभीषणरवं सरीसृपसमाकुलम्

Transliteration

siṃhavyāghrebhamahiṣa krūrasatvabhayaṃkaram | jhillikābhīṣaṇaravaṃ sarīsṛpasamākulam

Translation

C’était une contrée effroyable, terrifiante de lions, de tigres, d’éléphants et de buffles sauvages—rendue redoutable par des bêtes cruelles—, retentissant du stridement funeste des grillons et grouillante de reptiles rampants.

Word by Word

• siṃha-vyāghra-ibha-mahiṣa: (with) lions, tigers, elephants, and buffaloes
• siṃha-vyāghra-ibha-mahiṣa: Viśeṣya (Head noun qualified; implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक) + ibha (प्रातिपदिक) + mahiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative)

• krūra-sattva-bhayaṃkaram: terrifying due to cruel creatures
• krūra-sattva-bhayaṃkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक) + sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• jhillikā-bhīṣaṇa-ravam: the dreadful sound of crickets
• jhillikā-bhīṣaṇa-ravam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier; as descriptive noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jhillikā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-भाव)

• sarīsṛpa-samākulam: crowded with reptiles
• sarīsṛpa-samākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarīsṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Setukṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense, ominous forest alive with predators—lions, tigers, wild buffalo, elephants—while the ground crawls with reptiles; the air vibrates with harsh cricket-chirring, suggesting a perilous approach to a sacred destination.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography often begins by portraying the peril of the wilderness, preparing the reader for the higher protection and merit found near a holy region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Setukhaṇḍa—associated with Setu/Rāmeśvaram—though this verse itself describes the surrounding wild terrain rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive, setting the scene.