Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सुवेषधारी सन्नद्धः पत्तिसंघसमावृतः । कांतारेषु च सर्वेषु पर्वतेषु गुहासु च

Transliteration

suveṣadhārī sannaddhaḥ pattisaṃghasamāvṛtaḥ | kāṃtāreṣu ca sarveṣu parvateṣu guhāsu ca

Translation

അവൻ സുവേഷധാരിയും പൂർണ്ണമായി സന്നദ്ധനുമായ്, പാദാതിസംഘങ്ങൾ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയവനായി; എല്ലാ കാന്താരങ്ങളിലും, പർവതങ്ങളിലും, ഗുഹകളിലും സഞ്ചരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• su-veṣa-dhārī: wearing fine attire
• su-veṣa-dhārī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + veṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhārī (धृ (धातु) से णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun) विशेषण; ‘well-dressed’

• sannaddhaḥ: fully armed
• sannaddhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-nah (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘armed/fully equipped’

• patti-saṃgha-samāvṛtaḥ: surrounded by a band of infantry
• patti-saṃgha-samāvṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patti (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-ā-vṛ (धातु) से क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण; ‘surrounded by a troop of foot-soldiers’

• kāntāreṣu: in forests/wildernesses
• kāntāreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction ‘and’)

• sarveṣu: in all
• sarveṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with kāntāreṣu/parvateṣu)

• parvateṣu: on mountains
• parvateṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• guhāsu: in caves
• guhāsu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction ‘and’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Setukṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The armed, well-attired king advances with foot-soldier companies through every wilderness: narrow passes, rocky mountains, and dark caves—torchlight and armor glinting as the expedition presses onward.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas depict strenuous movement through harsh landscapes to foreshadow the transformative encounter with holiness and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger Setukhaṇḍa context relates to Setu/Rāmeśvaram; this verse describes the approach through rugged terrain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.