Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

विभीषण उवाच । संसारवनमध्ये मां विनष्टनिजमार्गके । व्याधिचौरे क्रोधसिंहे जन्मव्याघ्रे लयोरगे

Transliteration

vibhīṣaṇa uvāca | saṃsāravanamadhye māṃ vinaṣṭanijamārgake | vyādhicaure krodhasiṃhe janmavyāghre layorage

Translation

വിഭീഷണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—സംസാരമെന്ന വനത്തിൽ ഞാൻ എന്റെ വഴിയെ നഷ്ടപ്പെടുത്തി. അവിടെ രോഗം എന്ന കള്ളൻ എന്നെ കൊള്ളയടിക്കുന്നു; ക്രോധം സിംഹംപോലെ നില്ക്കുന്നു; ജനനം കടുവപോലെ ഭയപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു; ലയം പാമ്പുപോലെ ചുരുളായി ചുറ്റിപ്പിടിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संसार-वन-मध्ये: in the midst of the forest of saṃsāra
• संसार-वन-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—संसारस्य वनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + तस्मिन् मध्ये (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विनष्ट-निज-मार्गके: in (a place) where one’s own path is lost
• विनष्ट-निज-मार्गके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनष्ट (कृदन्त; वि+नश्) + निज (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—विनष्टः निजः मार्गः यस्मिन् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे लोकेटिव-विशेषणप्रयोग)

• व्याधि-चौरे: in the disease-thief (i.e., where disease is like a thief)
• व्याधि-चौरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + चोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—व्याधिरिव चोरः

• क्रोध-सिंहे: in the anger-lion
• क्रोध-सिंहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—क्रोध इव सिंहः

• जन्म-व्याघ्रे: in the tiger of birth
• जन्म-व्याघ्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—जन्मनः व्याघ्रः

• लय-उरगे: in the serpent of dissolution
• लय-उरगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—लयस्य उरगः

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara/Setu-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śambhu (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa stands in a dark, tangled forest symbolizing saṃsāra; shadowy figures appear as a thief (disease), a lion (anger), a tiger (birth), and a coiled serpent (dissolution), while a distant luminous shrine of Rāmeśvara glimmers as the only clear path.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃsāra is portrayed as a perilous wilderness where afflictions and passions overpower the lost soul, urging surrender to the liberating Lord of the sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara/Rāmeśvaram in the Setukhaṇḍa, the Setu-tīrtha region associated with Śiva’s grace and release from saṃsāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a devotional confession preparing for prayer and refuge.