Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

क्षुत्क्षामः प्रस्खलञ्छश्वत्प्रविवेश महावनम् । झिल्लिकागणसंघुष्टं व्याघ्रश्वापद भीषणम्

Transliteration

kṣutkṣāmaḥ praskhalañchaśvatpraviveśa mahāvanam | jhillikāgaṇasaṃghuṣṭaṃ vyāghraśvāpada bhīṣaṇam

Translation

เขาผ่ายผอมเพราะความหิว โซเซสะดุดครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า จึงเข้าสู่พนไพรอันกว้างใหญ่—ก้องด้วยฝูงจิ้งหรีด และน่าหวาดหวั่นด้วยเสือและสัตว์ร้ายทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• क्षुत्क्षामः: emaciated by hunger
• क्षुत्क्षामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत्-क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (क्षुत्या क्षामः = emaciated by hunger)

• प्रस्खलन्: stumbling
• प्रस्खलन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+स्खल् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (stumbling)

• शश्वत्: continually
• शश्वत्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्व/सातत्यवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• महावनम्: the great forest
• महावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् वनम्)

• झिल्लिकागणसंघुष्टम्: resounding with swarms of crickets
• झिल्लिकागणसंघुष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: झिल्लिका-गण-संघुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; संघुष्ट = सम्+घुष् (धातु)+क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (झिल्लिकागणेन संघुष्टम् = resounding with crickets)

• व्याघ्रश्वापद: tigers and wild beasts
• व्याघ्रश्वापद: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र-श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (व्याघ्राः च श्वापदाः च)

• भीषणम्: terrifying
• भीषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महावनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Sūta relating the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (contextual; destination implied rather than named here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt Manojava stumbling into a dense, echoing forest; swarms of crickets audible; shadowy tigers and wild beasts lurking; family close together in fear.

Characters & Entities

• forest (mahāvana)
• tigers (vyāghra)
• predators (śvā-pada)
• crickets (jhillikā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering strips away pride and forces reliance on dharma; Purāṇas often use wilderness hardship to prepare a seeker for sacred refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa glorifies Setu (Rāmeśvaram); this verse provides the narrative darkness before the tīrtha-centered resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.