Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तद्वायसकुलं दह्यमानं सुविस्मितौ । राजा च राजमहिषी तं गुरुं पर्यपृच्छताम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tadvāyasakulaṃ dahyamānaṃ suvismitau | rājā ca rājamahiṣī taṃ guruṃ paryapṛcchatām

Translation

Melihat kawanan gagak itu sedang terbakar, raja dan permaisuri amat terperanjat; lalu kedua-duanya bertanya kepada sang Guru.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा), अव्यय — gerund ‘having seen’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object determiner/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• वायसकुलम्: the flock of crows
• वायसकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस-कुल (प्रातिपदिक; वायस + कुल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘वायसानां कुलम्’

• दह्यमानम्: being burned
• दह्यमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) → दह्यमान (कृदन्त, शानच्; कर्मणि)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्, वर्तमानकृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular agreeing with वायसकुलम्; passive sense ‘being burnt’

• सुविस्मितौ: greatly astonished (the two)
• सुविस्मितौ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-विस्मित (प्रातिपदिक; सु + विस्मित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — Nominative dual; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (सु + विस्मित)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

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

• राजमहिषी: the queen
• राजमहिषी: Karta (Co-subject/सहकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-महिषी (प्रातिपदिक; राजन् + महिषी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘राज्ञः महिषी’ (queen)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• गुरुम्: the guru
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular (in apposition to तम्)

• पर्यपृच्छताम्: asked
• पर्यपृच्छताम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन — Perfect, 3rd person dual

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king and queen, eyes widened in astonishment, turn toward the seated guru with folded hands, as ash and a few lingering crows settle; the guru remains tranquil, ready to explain.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• King
• Queen
• Garga
• Crows (vāyasa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wonder at spiritual signs should mature into inquiry; questioning the guru leads to clarified understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The implied context is the puṇya tīrtha on the Kāliṅdī bank, though the verse centers on the dialogue moment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it introduces guru-upadeśa through the disciple’s questions.