Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एष पर्वतसंकाशः सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः । यावन्न खादति प्राप्य तावन्नौ रक्ष भूपते

Transliteration

eṣa parvatasaṃkāśaḥ sarvaprāṇibhayaṃkaraḥ | yāvanna khādati prāpya tāvannau rakṣa bhūpate

Translation

“ഇത് പർവ്വതംപോലെ മഹാകായൻ, സർവ്വ ജീവികൾക്കും ഭയങ്കരൻ. ഞങ്ങളെ എത്തി ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിന് മുമ്പേ—ഹേ ഭൂപതേ, ഞങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കണേ!”

Word by Word

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• पर्वतसंकाशः: mountain-like
• पर्वतसंकाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत-संकाश (प्रातिपदिक; पर्वत=mountain, संकाश=like/appearing)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (of एषः/शार्दूलः)

• सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः: causing fear to all creatures
• सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-प्राणि-भय-कर (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व=all, प्राणि=creature, भय=fear, कर=maker)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे (as long as)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध (negation)

• खादति: devours/eats
• खादति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• प्राप्य: having reached (us)
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having reached/after obtaining)

• तावत्: until then/so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे (until then/so long)

• नौ: us two
• नौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचनम्; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-पति (प्रातिपदिक; king)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa couple (continuing the plea to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The couple describes the tiger as huge as a mountain and begs the king to protect them before it reaches and devours them.

Characters & Entities

• king (bhūpati)
• tiger

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is time-sensitive: when beings are in peril, protection and right action should be immediate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an urgent petition for rescue.