Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

किंचिन्मार्गं समुल्लंघ्य तस्थौ विश्रांतसैनिकः । तस्मिन्विनिद्रे दयितासंगमध्यानतत्परे

Transliteration

kiṃcinmārgaṃ samullaṃghya tasthau viśrāṃtasainikaḥ | tasminvinidre dayitāsaṃgamadhyānatatpare

Translation

Après avoir franchi un court tronçon du chemin, il s’arrêta, et ses troupes prirent repos. Là, tandis que la somnolence l’envahissait, son esprit se plongea dans la méditation de l’union avec sa bien-aimée.

Word by Word

• किंचित्: some, a little
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (indefinite ‘some’)

• मार्गम्: path, way
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समुल्लङ्घ्य: having crossed
• समुल्लङ्घ्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having crossed/overstepped’

• तस्थौ: stood, halted
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विश्रान्तसैनिकः: the rested soldier/warrior
• विश्रान्तसैनिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, वि+श्रम्) + सैनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘विश्रान्तः सैनिकः’

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विनिद्रे: while awake, sleepless
• विनिद्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘sleep-less/awake’ (locative agreeing with तस्मिन्)

• दयिता-सङ्गम-ध्यान-तत्परे: absorbed in meditation on union with his beloved
• दयिता-सङ्गम-ध्यान-तत्परे: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयिता (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—‘दयितासङ्गमध्यान-तत्परः’ (absorbed in meditation on meeting the beloved), locative agreeing with तस्मिन्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narrative style within Setukhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal traveler halts after a short march; soldiers rest with lowered banners; the king sits apart, eyes heavy with sleep, inwardly absorbed in thoughts of his beloved.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid worldly duties like travel and command, the mind easily clings to attachment; dharma requires steadiness and self-mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa context glorifies Setu (Rāmeśvara/Setubandha region), though this verse itself is a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes a pause in the journey and the king’s mental state.