Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्रदोषे तु पुनः पार्थ श्वेता पाण्डुरमूर्धजा । सुमृता तु दुर्गकान्तारे मातृवत्परिरक्षति

Transliteration

pradoṣe tu punaḥ pārtha śvetā pāṇḍuramūrdhajā | sumṛtā tu durgakāntāre mātṛvatparirakṣati

Translation

ครั้นยามประโทษะ (สนธยาค่ำ) โอ้ปารถะ นางปรากฏเป็นสีขาวอีกครั้ง มีเส้นผมสีซีดอ่อน; เมื่อระลึกถึงโดยชอบ ย่อมคุ้มครองในป่าทุรกันดารดุจมารดา

Word by Word

• प्रदोषे: in the evening twilight
• प्रदोषे: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्वेता: white; fair
• श्वेता: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पाण्डुर-मूर्धजा: having pale/whitish hair
• पाण्डुर-मूर्धजा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'पाण्डुराः मूर्धजाः (केशाः) यस्याः'

• सु-मृता: when well remembered (invoked)
• सु-मृता: Hetu (Condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'well-remembered/invoked'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुर्ग-कान्तारे: in a perilous forest
• दुर्ग-कान्तारे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'दुर्गं कान्तारम्' (difficult forest)

• मातृ-वत्: like a mother
• मातृ-वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative adverb): 'like a mother'

• परि-रक्षति: protects all around; protects
• परि-रक्षति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Revā Khaṇḍa narrative instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (vocative in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk, a pale-white Sandhyā-devī with light, pale hair appears as a maternal guardian at the edge of a forest path; travelers feel sheltered as darkness gathers.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Sandhyā
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of Sandhyā at the proper time is portrayed as a living refuge, offering protection amid danger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on the protective fruit of pradoṣa Sandhyā remembrance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Evening (pradoṣa) Sandhyā-dhyāna with a specified form and a stated benefit of protection in peril.