Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

खङ्गं विमलमादाय व्यचरच्छिबिरे निशि । ततस्तु धृष्टद्युम्नस्य शिबिरं मंदमाययौ

Transliteration

khaṅgaṃ vimalamādāya vyacaracchibire niśi | tatastu dhṛṣṭadyumnasya śibiraṃ maṃdamāyayau

Translation

നിർമലമായ ഖഡ്ഗം കൈയിൽ എടുത്ത് അവൻ രാത്രിയിൽ പാളയത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന് ധൃഷ്ടദ്യുമ്നന്റെ പാളയത്തോട് പതുക്കെ സമീപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• खङ्गम्: sword
• खङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• विमलम्: spotless
• विमलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) आ-√दा + क्त्वा; ‘having taken’

• व्यचरत्: moved about, roamed
• व्यचरत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• शिबिरे: in the camp
• शिबिरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha/Adverbial (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रमसूचक (thereafter)

• तु: indeed, then
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः—विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• धृष्टद्युम्नस्य: of Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनम्

• शिबिरम्: camp
• शिबिरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• मन्दम्: slowly, gently
• मन्दम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘slowly’

• आययौ: went, approached
• आययौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (likely)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśvatthāmā, sword gleaming, stalks through sleeping tents under night shadows; he nears Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s camp slowly, like a predator closing in.

Characters & Entities

• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Night symbolizes ignorance and secrecy; dharma cautions against acts done away from the light of accountability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setu) is the section’s sacred backdrop, though not explicitly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.