Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

उवाच भूपतिं दृष्ट्वा ऋक्षोयं वनगोचरः । मा भीतिं कुरु राजेंद्र वत्स्यावो रजनीमिह

Transliteration

uvāca bhūpatiṃ dṛṣṭvā ṛkṣoyaṃ vanagocaraḥ | mā bhītiṃ kuru rājeṃdra vatsyāvo rajanīmiha

Translation

രാജാവിനെ കണ്ട വനചരനായ കരടി പറഞ്ഞു— “രാജേന്ദ്രാ, ഭയപ്പെടേണ്ട; നാം ഇവിടെ തന്നേ ഈ രാത്രിയെ കഴിക്കാം.”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• भूपतिम्: the king
• भूपतिम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• ऋक्षः: the bear
• ऋक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• वनगोचरः: forest-roamer
• वनगोचरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpuruṣa): ‘वनस्य गोचरः’

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (prohibitive particle)

• भीतिम्: fear
• भीतिम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• कुरु: do/make
• कुरु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः’

• वत्स्यावः: we shall dwell/stay
• वत्स्यावः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• रजनीम्: the night
• रजनीम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

Speaker

Bear (ṛkṣa) speaking to King Dharmagupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / interlocutor in Setukhaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wary king in a dark forest meets a bear who speaks gently, offering a safe night’s halt; moonlight filters through trees, suggesting a temporary refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta
• Bear (ṛkṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Calming another’s fear and offering companionship in danger is a form of dharma, even when spoken by a creature of the wild.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu/Rāmeśvara pilgrimage setting frames the chapter; the verse itself highlights dharmic conduct rather than a named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on mutual support and staying alert through the night.