Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मार्गं न ते सौरपुरस्य दूतान्वनांतरं षण्मुख किंचिदन्यत् । स्वप्ने न पश्यंति च ते मनुष्या येषां गता जागरणेन निद्रा

Transliteration

mārgaṃ na te saurapurasya dūtānvanāṃtaraṃ ṣaṇmukha kiṃcidanyat | svapne na paśyaṃti ca te manuṣyā yeṣāṃ gatā jāgaraṇena nidrā

Translation

ହେ ଷଣ୍ମୁଖ! ଯାହାଙ୍କ ନିଦ୍ରା ଜାଗରଣରେ ଦୂର ହୋଇଯାଇଛି, ସେମାନେ ସ୍ୱପ୍ନରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯମପୁରୀର ଦୂତମାନଙ୍କୁ ଦେଖନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ; ଅନ୍ୟ କୌଣସି ଭୟଙ୍କର ଅରଣ୍ୟପଥକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• mārgaṃ: path, way
• mārgaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (pronoun)

• saurapurasya: of the city of the Sun (Saurapura)
• saurapurasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saura-pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Singular; समासः: सौरस्य पुरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• dūtān: messengers
• dūtān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• vanāṃtaram: forest-interior, wilderness
• vanāṃtaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana-antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समासः: वनस्य अन्तरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ṣaṇmukha: O Six-faced one (Skanda)
• ṣaṇmukha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇ-mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; बहुव्रीहिः: षण्मुखः (षड्भिर्मुखैः युक्तः)

• kiṃcit: anything, something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (indefinite pronoun)

• anyat: other
• anyat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• paśyanti: see
• paśyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Present Indicative, 3rd Person, Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (pronoun)

• manuṣyāḥ: people, men
• manuṣyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive, Plural (relative pronoun)

• gatā: has gone, has departed
• gatā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• jāgaraṇena: by wakefulness
• jāgaraṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Narrative voice addressing Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda); specific speaker not explicit in this verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-jāgaraṇa (abhaya-phala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṣaṇmukha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees keep vigil; outside the temple boundary, shadowy Yamadūtas with nooses fade away; above, the dream-world is shown as clear and untroubled, with no fearful forest-path imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Yama (implied by dūtas and city)
• Saura-pura (Yama’s city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Keeping a sacred vigil is said to remove fear and the terror of Yama’s messengers, signaling protection through dharmic devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse highlights the spiritual protection associated with the vigil practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jāgaraṇa—remaining awake in religious observance—presented as the cause of fearlessness even in dreams.