Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6
Devanagari script
अथाविदूरे क्रोशंतौ धावंतौ द्विजदंपती । अन्वीयमानौ व्याघ्रेण ददर्श नृपसत्तमः
Transliteration
athāvidūre krośaṃtau dhāvaṃtau dvijadaṃpatī | anvīyamānau vyāghreṇa dadarśa nṛpasattamaḥ
Translation
അപ്പോൾ സമീപത്തുതന്നെ, നിലവിളിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ഓടുന്ന ഒരു ബ്രാഹ്മണ ദമ്പതികളെ—അവരെ ഒരു വ്യാഘ്രം പിന്തുടരുമ്പോൾ—ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ രാജാവ് കണ്ടു।
Word by Word
अथthen
अथ:
Sambandha (Discourse marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)
अविदूरेnearby, not far away
अविदूरे:
Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअविदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभावप्रायम्; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (nearby)
क्रोशन्तौ(two) shouting
क्रोशन्तौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootक्रुश् (धातु) → क्रोशत् (कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (shouting)
धावन्तौ(two) running
धावन्तौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootधाव् (धातु) → धावत् (कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (running)
द्विजदम्पतीthe brahmin couple (husband and wife)
द्विजदम्पती:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज-दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज=brahmin/bird, दम्पती=couple)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचनम्
अन्वीयमानौbeing pursued
अन्वीयमानौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootअनु + इ (धातु) → अन्वीयमान (कृदन्त, शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय; कर्मणि)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि (being pursued/followed)
व्याघ्रेणby a tiger
व्याघ्रेण:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootव्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; करण/कर्तृ-हेतौ (by)
ददर्शsaw
ददर्श:
Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
नृपसत्तमःthe best of kings
नृपसत्तमः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनृप-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; नृप=king, सत्तम=best)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्
Speaker
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The king notices nearby a brāhmaṇa husband and wife running, crying, chased by a tiger closing in.
Characters & Entities
K
king (nṛpasattama)B
brāhmaṇa couple (dvijadampatī)T
tiger (vyāghra)FAQs
A ruler’s dharma is to protect the vulnerable—especially those seeking refuge—when danger suddenly arises.
No tīrtha is named here; the verse is part of a moral narrative emphasizing protection (rakṣaṇa-dharma).
None; the focus is on immediate ethical duty in a crisis.