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

विभीषण म्हणाला—संसाररूपी वनात मी माझा मार्ग हरविला आहे. तेथे रोग नावाचा चोर मला लुटतो, क्रोध सिंहासारखा उभा राहतो, जन्म वाघासारखा भय दाखवितो आणि लय सर्पासारखा वेटोळे घालून मला वेढतो।

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.