Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दुर्धर्षा दुर्निरीक्ष्याश्च इतश्चेतश्च चञ्चलाः । व्याहरन्तः शुभां वाचं न तत्र गतिरस्ति वै

Transliteration

durdharṣā durnirīkṣyāśca itaścetaśca cañcalāḥ | vyāharantaḥ śubhāṃ vācaṃ na tatra gatirasti vai

Translation

“พวกเขายากจะต้านทาน และแม้แต่จะมองก็ยากนัก วิ่งวุ่นไปมาด้วยความกระสับกระส่าย แม้จะกล่าววาจาไพเราะ แต่ที่นั่นแท้จริงหาได้มีทางออกไม่”

Word by Word

• दुर्धर्षाः: hard to overpower
• दुर्धर्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (hard to be attacked/overpowered)

• दुर्निरीक्ष्याः: hard to behold
• दुर्निरीक्ष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + nirīkṣya (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (hard to look at)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• इतश्: here/this way
• इतश्: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (directional adverb: from here/this way)

• चेतश्: there/that way
• चेतश्: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cetaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (directional adverb: there/that way)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• चञ्चलाः: restless
• चञ्चलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cañcala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• व्याहरन्तः: uttering/speaking
• व्याहरन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-hṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• वाचम्: speech/words
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• गतिः: escape/way out
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Viprāḥ (continuing their report)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (via narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fearsome figures move rapidly in different directions, eyes flashing; their mouths form gentle, inviting words while the space around them feels like a trap with no exit.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (implied)
• gati (escape/way)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pleasant words are not always safety; dharma requires vigilance and discernment in unsettling situations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā pilgrimage context remains primary, framing the episode as part of the tīrtha journey.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse emphasizes the experiential peril within the narrative.