Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

जेपुर्जप्यं मुनिवरा व्याधविद्धा मृगा इव । जहुः कांतिं च सूर्याद्या नीहाराश्छांदयन्दिशः

Transliteration

jepurjapyaṃ munivarā vyādhaviddhā mṛgā iva | jahuḥ kāṃtiṃ ca sūryādyā nīhārāśchāṃdayandiśaḥ

Translation

முனிவரர்கள் வேடன் அம்பால் காயமுற்ற மான்களைப் போல அவசரமாக ஜபத்தைத் தொடர்ந்தனர். சூரியன் முதலிய ஒளிகள் தங்கள் பிரகாசத்தை இழந்தன; மூடுபனி திசைகளை மூடியது.

Word by Word

• जेपुः: muttered, recited
• जेपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (जपति) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• जप्यम्: (that which is) to be recited; a mantra
• जप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप्य (प्रातिपदिक) < √जप् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य) = ‘to be recited’; कर्मपदम्

• मुनिवराः: the best sages
• मुनिवराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (वराः मुनयः) = excellent sages

• व्याध-विद्धाः: pierced by hunters
• व्याध-विद्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याध (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) < √व्यध्/√विध् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (व्याधेन विद्धाः) = pierced by a hunter; विशेषणम् of मृगाः

• मृगाः: deer
• मृगाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• इव: like, as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-सूचक/particle of comparison)

• जहुः: abandoned, lost
• जहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (जहाति) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कान्तिम्: splendour, light
• कान्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• सूर्य-आद्याः: the sun and others
• सूर्य-आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यः आदिः येषाम्) = the sun and others

• नीहाराः: mists, fogs
• नीहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• छादयन्: covering
• छादयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √छद् (छादयति) (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण कर्तरि = covering

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pṛthāsuta (addressed in adjacent verse) / epic-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, startled like wounded deer, quicken their japa; the sun’s brilliance fades; mist curtains the horizons, swallowing the directions.

Characters & Entities

• Munis (sages)
• Sun (Sūrya)
• Luminaries
• Mist (Nīhāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of cosmic disturbance, the sages respond with japa—showing mantra as a stabilizing dharmic refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights the rishis’ spiritual response rather than a pilgrimage location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (muttered recitation) is explicitly referenced as the sages’ practice in response to ominous signs.