Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्य रक्षार्थमत्यर्थं रक्षितो यक्षौच्चकैः । विश्वामित्रो मुनिः पूर्वं यदा चैव पराजयत्

Transliteration

tasya rakṣārthamatyarthaṃ rakṣito yakṣauccakaiḥ | viśvāmitro muniḥ pūrvaṃ yadā caiva parājayat

Translation

ആ ധനം അത്യന്തം കർശനമായി കാക്കാൻ ഭയങ്കര യക്ഷവീരന്മാർ അതിനെ സംരക്ഷിച്ചു. പൂർവകാലത്ത് മുനി വിശ്വാമിത്രൻ അവരെ ജയിച്ച് പരാജയപ്പെടുത്തിയപ്പോൾ...

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that (treasure)
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: रक्षायाः अर्थः)

• अत्यर्थम्: exceedingly
• अत्यर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier adverb)

• रक्षितः: was protected/guarded
• रक्षितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (कश्चित्/धनम् इत्यादेः ‘protected’)

• यक्षौच्चकैः: by eminent yakṣas
• यक्षौच्चकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘यक्षाः उच्चकाः’ = eminent yakṣas)

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विश्वामित्रः इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb ‘when’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पराजयत्: defeated
• पराजयत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पराजि (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/भूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhana-Yakṣa tīrtha (treasure-guarded spot)

Type: kshetra/kund (vicinity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic tableau: fierce yakṣa guardians around a hidden treasure; sage Viśvāmitra radiating tejas, subduing/defeating them; the sacred spot glowing as conflict resolves into sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣas
• Viśvāmitra
• Hariścandra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power rooted in tapas and dharma can overcome even supernatural guardianship and worldly obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ayodhyā area associated with Rukmiṇī-kuṇḍa and the Dhana-Yakṣa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is narrative context establishing the tīrtha’s legendary background.