Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां स मुनिर्लब्धलोचनः । तस्याः पित्रोश्च तत्सर्वं रहस्याचष्ट धर्मवित्

Transliteration

tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ sa munirlabdhalocanaḥ | tasyāḥ pitrośca tatsarvaṃ rahasyācaṣṭa dharmavit

Translation

ആ രാത്രി കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ മുനിക്ക് ദൃഷ്ടി തിരിച്ചുകിട്ടി; ധർമ്മജ്ഞനായ അദ്ദേഹം അവളുടെ മാതാപിതാക്കൾക്ക് ആ മുഴുവൻ കാര്യവും രഹസ്യമായി അറിയിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रात्र्याम्: night
• रात्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्यतीतायाम्: when (it) had passed
• व्यतीतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अति + इ (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

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

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लब्ध-लोचनः: one who had regained sight
• लब्ध-लोचनः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (लभ् धातु + क्त) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (लब्धे लोचने यस्य सः)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पित्रोः: of (her) parents
• पित्रोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• रहस्यात्: secretly; in confidence
• रहस्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from secrecy, secretly)

• अचष्ट: told; related
• अचष्ट: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्म-वित्: knower of dharma
• धर्म-वित्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक-रूप ‘वित्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मं वेत्ति इति)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn after the night, the sage opens his eyes—sight restored—then speaks privately to the girl’s parents, conveying the hidden divine cause.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (sage)
• Śāradā (implied)
• Parents of the girl

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discretion: sensitive truths should be conveyed responsibly to protect virtue and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred place is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on ethical communication and dharmic guidance.