Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य वज्रनिर्घातनिष्ठुरम् । मुहूर्तमभवद्राजा चिंताव्याकुलमानसः

Transliteration

ityākarṇya vacastasya vajranirghātaniṣṭhuram | muhūrtamabhavadrājā ciṃtāvyākulamānasaḥ

Translation

അവന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ വജ്രാഘാതംപോലെ നിഷ്ഠുരമായി കേട്ട രാജാവ് ഒരു നിമിഷം ചിന്തയിൽ വ്യാകുലനായി; മനസ്സ് കലങ്ങിയുപോയി.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कर्ण्/√कृ (श्रवणे; here √कर्ण् ‘to hear’) + आ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him, his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वज्रनिर्घातनिष्ठुरम्: harsh like a thunderbolt-strike
• वज्रनिर्घातनिष्ठुरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-निर्घात-निष्ठुर (प्रातिपदिक; वज्र + निर्घात + निष्ठुर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with वचः)

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (extent of time)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (सत्तायाम्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• चिन्ताव्याकुलमानसः: whose mind was agitated by worry
• चिन्ताव्याकुलमानसः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ता-व्याकुल-मानस (प्रातिपदिक; चिन्ता + व्याकुल + मानस)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of राजा)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king’s face tightens; his posture slumps slightly; a stylized thunderbolt motif overlays the spoken words; courtiers look down; the hall feels suddenly heavy, as if a storm cloud entered.

Characters & Entities

• King (rājā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the powerful are vulnerable to fear; the narrative prepares the ground for dharmic acceptance and turning toward divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the king’s psychological response.