Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

विप्रा ऊचुः । वनान्ते स्त्रीयुगं दृष्ट्वा महारौद्रं भयावहम् । वृद्धाश्च पुरुषास्तत्र पाशहस्ता भयावहाः

Transliteration

viprā ūcuḥ | vanānte strīyugaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāraudraṃ bhayāvaham | vṛddhāśca puruṣāstatra pāśahastā bhayāvahāḥ

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണർ പറഞ്ഞു—വനത്തിന്റെ അറ്റത്ത് ഞങ്ങൾ രണ്ട് സ്ത്രീകളെ കണ്ടു; അവർ അത്യന്തം ഉഗ്രവും ഭയാവഹവും ആയിരുന്നു. അവിടെ തന്നെ വൃദ്ധപുരുഷന്മാരും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; കൈയിൽ പാശം പിടിച്ച് ഭീതിജനകരായി.

Word by Word

• विप्राः: the brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• वनान्ते: in the forest-end/inside the forest
• वनान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + anta (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vanasya antaḥ)

• स्त्रीयुगम्: a pair of women
• स्त्रीयुगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī + yuga (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (strīṇāṃ yugaṃ = a pair/couple of women)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund)

• महारौद्रम्: very fierce/terrible
• महारौद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + raudra (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (very fierce)

• भयावहम्: bringing fear
• भयावहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (bhayaṃ āvahati iti)

• वृद्धाः: old/aged
• वृद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• पाशहस्ताः: having nooses in their hands
• पाशहस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa + hasta (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (pāśaḥ haste yeṣām = those who have nooses in their hands)

• भयावहाः: fearsome, bringing fear
• भयावहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Viprāḥ (the brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (through the narrator’s relay)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a forest boundary, two terrifying women stand alert; nearby, aged men clutch nooses, their faces severe. Brāhmaṇas observe from a cautious distance, startled yet composed.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• vanānta (forest edge)
• pāśa (noose)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage narratives often include trials and ominous sights, testing steadiness and discernment in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Revā (Narmadā) pilgrimage setting continues, though this verse focuses on a forest-edge encounter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse reports a vision that prompts inquiry and interpretation.