Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अथ प्रभाते विमले पुष्कसी वनमाययौ । अशनार्थं च तस्यान्नमादाय त्वरिता सती

Transliteration

atha prabhāte vimale puṣkasī vanamāyayau | aśanārthaṃ ca tasyānnamādāya tvaritā satī

Translation

À l’aube pure et limpide, la chasseuse entra dans la forêt. Prenant la nourriture pour le repas de son époux, cette femme vertueuse se hâta.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• प्रभाते: at dawn
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular: at dawn)

• विमले: clear, pure
• विमले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (agreeing with प्रभाते: in the clear/pure [dawn])

• पुष्कसी: the Puṣkasī woman
• पुष्कसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (a Puṣkasī woman)

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आययौ: came
• आययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (perfect: came)

• अशनार्थम्: for eating
• अशनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अशनस्य अर्थः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative of purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: of him)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु) → ādāya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: having taken)

• त्वरिता: hurried
• त्वरिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वर् (धातु) → tvarita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (hurried)

• सती: the virtuous woman
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त: अस् धातोः शतृ-स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (a virtuous woman; ‘she’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (frame sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At clear dawn, the virtuous huntress quickly sets out into the forest carrying food for her husband, her urgency tempered by purity and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• puṣkasī (huntress woman)
• vana (forest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is shown through timely effort and selfless service—care for one’s dependent is treated as a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region (Kedārakhaṇḍa), whose narratives frame ordinary actions as spiritually meaningful in a sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse narrates carrying food (annadāna-like intent within the household) and purposeful movement at dawn.