Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्वने संचरतो धर्मगुप्तस्य भूपतेः । अभूद्विभावरी विप्रास्त मसावृतदिङ्मुखा

Transliteration

tasminvane saṃcarato dharmaguptasya bhūpateḥ | abhūdvibhāvarī viprāsta masāvṛtadiṅmukhā

Translation

హే విప్రులారా, ఆ వనంలో సంచరిస్తున్న ధర్మగుప్త మహారాజునకు రాత్రి వచ్చి, చీకటితో అన్ని దిక్కుల ముఖాలు కప్పబడినవి.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• संचरतः: of (him) roaming
• संचरतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-चर् (धातु) → संचरत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• धर्मगुप्तस्य: of Dharmagupta
• धर्मगुप्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: धर्म + गुप्त (तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भूपतेः: of the king
• भूपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: भू + पति (तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अभूत्: there was / became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विभावरी: night
• विभावरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative-like address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तमसा: by darkness
• तमसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आवृत: covered
• आवृत: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु) → आवृत (भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दिङ्मुखा: the quarters/directions (their faces)
• दिङ्मुखा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: दिक् + मुख (तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Brāhma Khaṇḍa narratives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Rāmeśvara-Setu region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) addressed in the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in a dense forest as dusk collapses into night; the horizon and directions dissolve into a single mass of darkness, suggesting a sacred yet perilous limen.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous rulers face obscurity and uncertainty; dharma is tested when guidance seems hidden, as in the darkness of night.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative sits in Setukhaṇḍa, associated with Setu/Rāmeśvara pilgrimage geography, though this verse itself describes the forest setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the scene for subsequent dharmic action.