Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

वनेचरोऽथ तत्स्थानं दैवाद्विस्मृतवान्मुने । दिग्भ्रांतिं समवाप्याथ परिबभ्राम कानने

Transliteration

vanecaro'tha tatsthānaṃ daivādvismṛtavānmune | digbhrāṃtiṃ samavāpyātha paribabhrāma kānane

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ വനചരൻ, ഹേ മുനേ, ദൈവവശാൽ ആ സ്ഥലം മറന്നു. ദിക്കുഭ്രാന്തനായി കാനനത്തിൽ ഇങ്ങും അങ്ങും അലഞ്ഞുതിരിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• वनेचरः: a forest-dweller
• वनेचरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनेचर (प्रातिपदिक; वन + चर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वन + चर = वनेचर)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive/then)

• तत्-स्थानम्: that place
• तत्-स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तत् + स्थान)

• दैवात्: by fate
• दैवात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूतम् (ablative used adverbially: 'by fate')

• विस्मृतवान्: having forgotten
• विस्मृतवान्: Karta-predicate (कर्तृसम्बन्धी क्रियाविशेषण/finite-equivalent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्तः: क्तवतु-प्रत्यय (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• दिग्भ्रान्तिम्: directional confusion
• दिग्भ्रान्तिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भ्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दिक् + भ्रान्ति)

• समवाप्य: having obtained
• समवाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having obtained)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• परिबभ्राम: wandered around
• परिबभ्राम: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (Skanda relating to Agastya; addressing ‘mune’)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (frame) / addressed to 'muni' within verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone forest-dweller/pilgrim stands amid dense woodland, looking around in confusion as paths fork and fade; light shafts filter through trees, suggesting fate’s veil over memory.

Characters & Entities

• vanecara
• araṇya/kānana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When fate (daiva) turns adverse, the mind loses clarity; dharma requires steadiness amid confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as plot movement within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.