Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सिंहव्याघ्रादिभीत्या स्मिन्वृक्षमेकं समास्थिते । राजपुत्रे तदाभ्यागादृक्षः सिंहभयार्दितः

Transliteration

siṃhavyāghrādibhītyā sminvṛkṣamekaṃ samāsthite | rājaputre tadābhyāgādṛkṣaḥ siṃhabhayārditaḥ

Translation

เมื่อราชกุมารหวาดกลัวสิงห์ เสือ และสัตว์ร้ายอื่น ๆ จึงปีนขึ้นสู่ต้นไม้ต้นหนึ่ง ครั้นนั้นหมีตัวหนึ่งซึ่งร้อนรนด้วยความกลัวสิงห์ก็วิ่งพรวดมาถึงที่นั่น

Word by Word

• सिंहव्याघ्रादि: lions, tigers, etc.
• सिंहव्याघ्रादि: Sambandha (In compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह + व्याघ्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: सिंह-व्याघ्र-आदि (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपदत्वेन

• भीत्या: out of fear
• भीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृक्षम्: tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• समास्थिते: when (he) had climbed/was stationed
• समास्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-स्था (धातु) → समास्थित (भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘स्थिते सति’ (locative absolute)

• राजपुत्रे: (with) the prince (being)
• राजपुत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: राज्ञः पुत्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute सह)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अभ्यागात्: came near/approached
• अभ्यागात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ऋक्षः: a bear
• ऋक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिंहभयार्दितः: distressed by fear of a lion
• सिंहभयार्दितः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह + भय + आर्दित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः: सिंहस्य भयेन आर्दितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukhaṇḍa (unspecified forest spot)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prince clings to branches high in a tree, eyes wide; below, the forest is dark. A bear bursts in, frantic, glancing back in terror of a lion.

Characters & Entities

• Prince (rājaputra)
• Bear (ṛkṣa)
• Lion (siṃha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In peril, beings seek refuge; such moments become the stage where dharma and compassion are revealed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds within Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape tied to Setu/Rāmeśvara, though the verse itself focuses on the forest incident.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears here; it introduces the conflict that will invoke dharmic reasoning.