Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तथान्ये मंत्रिमुख्याश्च नायकाः सपुरोहिताः । विह्वलाः शोकसंतप्ता विलेपुर्मुक्तमूर्धजाः

Transliteration

tathānye maṃtrimukhyāśca nāyakāḥ sapurohitāḥ | vihvalāḥ śokasaṃtaptā vilepurmuktamūrdhajāḥ

Translation

Так же и главные министры, военачальники и жрецы: потрясённые и опалённые скорбью, они рыдали, распустив волосы в знак бедствия.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/समुच्चय-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मंत्रिमुख्याः: chief ministers
• मंत्रिमुख्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘मन्त्रिणां मुख्याः’)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नायकाः: leaders, commanders
• नायकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सपुरोहिताः: together with the priests
• सपुरोहिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः—‘सपुरोहित’ = ‘पुरोहितैः सह/सहित’ (with priests)

• विह्वलाः: agitated
• विह्वलाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of others)

• शोकसंतप्ताः: tormented by grief
• शोकसंतप्ताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + संतप्त (तप्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘शोकेन संतप्ताः’ = afflicted by grief)

• विलेपुः: lamented/wailed
• विलेपुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘वि’ उपसर्ग

• मुक्तमूर्धजाः: with hair let loose
• मुक्तमूर्धजाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (मुच्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘मुक्ता मूर्धजा येषाम्’ = ‘with loosened hair’

Speaker

Narrator (context not provided; likely Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamunā (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ministers, commanders, and priests stand disheveled with loosened hair, weeping openly; some beat their chests; ritual staffs and waterpots lie neglected as grief overwhelms them.

Characters & Entities

• Ministers (mantri)
• Commanders (nāyaka)
• Priests (purohita)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When calamity strikes, even pillars of governance and ritual order are shaken—yet dharma calls for regaining steadiness to act rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is explicitly glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the verse notes mourning behavior (loosened hair) as a sign of grief.