Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्रकंपिता धरादेवी दिशापाला भयातुराः । घोरा वातास्तदाऽशांताः शब्दं कुर्वंति दिग्गजाः

Transliteration

prakaṃpitā dharādevī diśāpālā bhayāturāḥ | ghorā vātāstadā'śāṃtāḥ śabdaṃ kurvaṃti diggajāḥ

Translation

பூமாதேவி நடுங்கினாள்; திசைகளின் காவலர்கள் அச்சத்தால் கலங்கினர். அப்போது கொடிய, அமைதியற்ற காற்றுகள் வீசியன; திக்குயானைகள் பெருஞ்சத்தம் செய்தன.

Word by Word

• प्रकंपिता: shaken, trembling
• प्रकंपिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र- कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धरा-देवी: the Earth-goddess
• धरा-देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (धरा एव देवी)

• दिशा-पालाः: guardians of the directions
• दिशा-पालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिशा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिशानां पालाः)

• भय-आतुराः: distressed by fear
• भय-आतुराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भयेन आतुराः)

• घोराः: terrible
• घोराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वाताः: winds
• वाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at that time)

• अशान्ताः: unquiet, restless
• अशान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शब्दम्: sound, noise
• शब्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: make, produce
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दिग्-गजाः: elephants of the quarters
• दिग्-गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (दिशां गजाः)

Speaker

Vyāsa (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (as the narrative epicenter)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The earth-goddess shown trembling; dikpālas at the horizons with anxious faces; violent winds bending trees; colossal elephants at the quarters raising their trunks and trumpeting; sky darkened with swirling clouds.

Characters & Entities

• Dharādevī (Earth)
• Diśāpālas
• Diggajas
• Winds (Vāta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order reacts to moral and divine upheaval; nature becomes a mirror of dharma under strain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse uses cosmic imagery rather than naming a tirtha; it intensifies the sanctified narrative space of Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an omen-description (utpāta) style passage.