Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तत्रैव तु स धर्मात्मा समागच्छद्विभीषणः । भ्राता वै राक्षसेंद्रस्य चतुर्भिः सचिवैः सह

Transliteration

tatraiva tu sa dharmātmā samāgacchadvibhīṣaṇaḥ | bhrātā vai rākṣaseṃdrasya caturbhiḥ sacivaiḥ saha

Translation

അവിടെയേ ധർമ്മാത്മാവായ വിഭീഷണൻ എത്തി—രാക്ഷസേന്ദ്രൻ (രാവണൻ)ന്റെ സഹോദരൻ—അവനോടൊപ്പം നാല് മന്ത്രിമാരും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

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

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); तत्पुरुषः (धर्मः आत्मा यस्य/धर्मे आत्मा) — ‘righteous-souled’

• समागच्छत्: came/arrived
• समागच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• राक्षसेन्द्रस्य: of the lord of rākṣasas (Rāvaṇa)
• राक्षसेन्द्रस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); तत्पुरुषः (राक्षसानाम् इन्द्रः)

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• सचिवैः: ministers/counsellors
• सचिवैः: Karana (Instrument/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सचिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable expressing accompaniment)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa arrives at Rāma’s camp near the tīrtha, accompanied by four ministers; his posture is humble yet resolute, signaling righteousness.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa (rākṣasendra)
• Ministers (saciva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not bound by birth or clan; Vibhīṣaṇa is praised as dharmātmā for choosing righteousness over adharmic loyalty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The arrival occurs in the Cakratīrtha setting established in the surrounding verses of Setu-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative, introducing Vibhīṣaṇa’s approach with his ministers.