Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्योनिष्वपि कथं दृश्यते धर्मशीलता । यतो ह्यहं महावर्षान्महिषेणाभिरक्षितः

Transliteration

tiryagyoniṣvapi kathaṃ dṛśyate dharmaśīlatā | yato hyahaṃ mahāvarṣānmahiṣeṇābhirakṣitaḥ

Translation

“തിര്യഗ്യോനിയിൽ ജനിച്ച ജീവികളിലും ധർമ്മശീലത എങ്ങനെ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു? കാരണം ഈ മഹിഷം തന്നെയാണ് മഹാവർഷത്തിൽ എന്നെ രക്ഷിച്ചത്.”

Word by Word

• तिर्यग्योनिषु: among animal species
• तिर्यग्योनिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तिर्यग्-योनयः = animal births/species)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘even’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is seen/appears)

• धर्मशीलता: righteous conduct
• धर्मशीलता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + शीलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य शीलता = virtuous disposition)

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/सम्बन्धबोधक (since/because)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महावर्षात्: from the great rain
• महावर्षात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• महिषेण: by the buffalo
• महिषेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• अभिरक्षितः: protected (well-guarded)
• अभिरक्षितः: Kriyā (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + रक्ष् (धातु) → अभिरक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘I was protected’

Speaker

Vatsanābha (reflection/inner speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis (probable)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage addresses the paradox with gentle wonder, looking at the buffalo with reverence; the buffalo stands calm, protective, eyes steady—an emblem of dharma beyond species.

Characters & Entities

• Vatsanābha
• Mahiṣa (buffalo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not confined to human status; compassion and protective virtue can manifest in any embodied being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-khaṇḍa narrative occurs in the Setu sacred region; the teaching supports the mahātmya tone by revealing dharma’s wonders within holy space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied ethic is reverence and gratitude toward protectors and all beings.