Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

शरत्कालेऽरमद्राजा बहुले चाश्विनस्य सः । वनमध्यं गतोऽद्राक्षीद्भ्रमन्तं पिङ्गलद्विजम्

Transliteration

śaratkāle'ramadrājā bahule cāśvinasya saḥ | vanamadhyaṃ gato'drākṣīdbhramantaṃ piṅgaladvijam

Translation

ശരത്കാലത്ത്, ആശ്വിന പൗർണ്ണമിയുടെ വേളയിൽ രാജാവ് ആനന്ദത്തോടെ വിഹരിച്ചു. പിന്നെ വനത്തിന്റെ നടുവിലേക്ക് ചെന്നപ്പോൾ പിംഗലവർണ്ണനായ ഒരു ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയുന്നതു കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• शरत्काले: in the autumn season
• शरत्काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरत्काल (प्रातिपदिक; शरत् + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; काल-विशेषे (locative of time)

• अरमत्: enjoyed, sported
• अरमत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• बहुले: in the dark (fortnight)
• बहुले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (मासे) विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आश्विनस्य: of (the month) Āśvina
• आश्विनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मासस्य (genitive of month)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वनमध्यं: the middle of the forest
• वनमध्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनमध्य (प्रातिपदिक; वन + मध्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गमनस्य कर्म

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• अद्राक्षीत्: saw
• अद्राक्षीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भ्रमन्तं: wandering
• भ्रमन्तं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + भ्रमन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विजम् विशेषयति

• पिङ्गलद्विजम्: the tawny (yellowish) Brahmin
• पिङ्गलद्विजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल + द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Skanda Purāṇa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmanteśvara (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Autumn full-moon light filters into a forest clearing; King Śatabāhu, in royal attire, notices a tawny-hued brāhmaṇa wandering with a purposeful, searching gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvina (month)
• Piṅgala Dvija (unnamed brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A chance meeting with a brāhmaṇa in a sacred setting often marks the turning point where dharma is taught and the seeker’s course is redirected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forest interior of Hanūmantavana in the Revā-region is the immediate setting; the verse emphasizes auspicious time (Āśvina) and sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed, though the mention of Āśvina’s full-moon context hints at sacred calendrical timing often associated with vows and tīrtha-visits.