Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दारिद्यतिमिरांधानां मर्त्यानां भवभीरुणाम् । भवसागरमग्नानां प्लवोऽयं पारदर्शनः

Transliteration

dāridyatimirāṃdhānāṃ martyānāṃ bhavabhīruṇām | bhavasāgaramagnānāṃ plavo'yaṃ pāradarśanaḥ

Translation

ਦਾਰਿਦ੍ਰ ਦੇ ਅੰਧਕਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਅੰਨੇ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਭੈ ਨਾਲ ਕੰਬਦੇ ਮਰਤ੍ਯਾਂ ਲਈ, ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਾਗਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਡੁੱਬਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ (ਪ੍ਰਦੋਸ਼-ਭਕਤੀ) ਪਾਰ ਦਿਖਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਨੌਕਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• दारिद्य-तिमिर-अन्धानाम्: of those blinded by the darkness of poverty
• दारिद्य-तिमिर-अन्धानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दारिद्यरूपेण तिमिरेण अन्धाः)

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• भव-भीरुणाम्: of those afraid of worldly existence
• भव-भीरुणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + भीरु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भवात् भीरवः)

• भव-सागर-मग्नानाम्: of those sunk in the ocean of saṃsāra
• भव-सागर-मग्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + मग्न (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भवसागरे मग्नाः)

• प्लवः: a raft
• प्लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम

• पार-दर्शनः: showing the far shore (liberation)
• पार-दर्शनः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पारस्य दर्शनं यस्मात्/येन)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stormy ocean labeled saṃsāra with drowning mortals; a luminous raft marked ‘Pradoṣa-bhakti’ carries them toward a radiant far shore; darkness of poverty shown as a veil lifting from their eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra (bhava-sāgara)
• Pradoṣa devotion (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion at pradoṣa is portrayed as salvific—guiding the afflicted from worldly fear toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse uses a universal liberation metaphor (crossing the ocean of bhava).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies taking refuge in pradoṣa-centered worship as the practical means for deliverance.