Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भुक्त्वा निर्याति सायाह्ने वनं न ज्ञायते जनैः । योगीश्वरोऽसौ तद्रूपाः सन्त्यन्ये लिंगधारिणः

Transliteration

bhuktvā niryāti sāyāhne vanaṃ na jñāyate janaiḥ | yogīśvaro'sau tadrūpāḥ santyanye liṃgadhāriṇaḥ

Translation

食を終えると、夕刻遅くに森へと出てゆき、人々には見分けられない。彼はヨーギーの中の主であり、同じような姿のリンガ保持者が他にもいる。

Word by Word

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Modifier (Purvakala/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (त्वान्त), पूर्वकाल; अर्थः—भोजनं कृत्वा

• निर्याति: goes out, departs
• निर्याति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सायाह्ने: in the evening
• सायाह्ने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karman (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• ज्ञायते: is known, is recognized
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• योगीश्वरः: lord of yogins
• योगीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (योगिनाम् ईश्वरः)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तद्रूपाः: of that same form
• तद्रूपाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (तस्य रूपं येषाम्)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेष्य (जनाः)

• लिङ्गधारिणः: bearers of the emblem/mark
• लिङ्गधारिणः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; धृ-धातुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (लिङ्गं धारयन्ति)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Saṃvarta and Kāśī’s ascetics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) — vana-sīmā (forest boundary)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At late afternoon, the ascetic slips from crowded Kāśī into a shadowed forest path; townspeople fail to recognize him. In the background, other similar liṅga-bearers appear like reflections—suggesting a secret fraternity.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvarta
• Liṅga-dhārins (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatest yogīs may remain unknown to society; spiritual excellence can be hidden beneath ordinary or startling appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

By context, Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is implied as the setting where such concealed yogīs and liṅga-bearers dwell.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implicitly advises discernment and reverence toward ascetics, recognizing that true saints may be unidentifiable.