Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अर्णवस्य महाभीमे जृंभमाणे महाध्वनौ । अन्योन्यकथितां वार्तां नाशृण्वंस्ते परस्परम्

Transliteration

arṇavasya mahābhīme jṛṃbhamāṇe mahādhvanau | anyonyakathitāṃ vārtāṃ nāśṛṇvaṃste parasparam

Translation

സമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ ഭീകരമായി ഉയർന്ന മഹാധ്വനി മുഴങ്ങുമ്പോൾ, അവർ തമ്മിൽ സംസാരിച്ചിട്ടും പരസ്പരവാക്കുകൾ കേൾക്കാനായില്ല।

Word by Word

• अर्णवस्य: of the ocean
• अर्णवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• महाभीमे: very terrible
• महाभीमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् भीमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular (agreeing with महाध्वनौ)

• जृम्भमाणे: as it was swelling/expanding
• जृम्भमाणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जृम्भ (√जृम्भ् धातु, आत्मनेपदी वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: आत्मनेपदी, वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), सप्तमी एकवचन — Present middle participle, Locative Singular

• महाध्वनौ: in the great roar
• महाध्वनौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् ध्वनिः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• अन्योन्य-कथिताम्: spoken to one another
• अन्योन्य-कथिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कथित (√कथ् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अन्योन्येन कथिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative Singular (agreeing with वार्ताम्)

• वार्ताम्: speech/news
• वार्ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात — negation particle

• अशृण्वन्: heard
• अशृण्वन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperfect, Active, 3rd person Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Nominative Plural

• परस्परम्: each other
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb ‘mutually/each other’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arṇava-tīrtha at Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis in the Purāṇic frame (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close grouping of warriors and ministers trying to speak; their mouths mid-sentence, but the scene is dominated by a vast wall of waves and spray; gestures show they cannot hear each other.

Characters & Entities

• Ocean

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obstacles can arise even amid righteous planning; perseverance and divine order guide the outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The oceanic expanse around Rāma-setu, central to Setukhaṇḍa’s holy topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights the overpowering sound of the sea.