Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

तच्च त्राणं सदा कार्यं प्राणैः कंठगतैरपि । अस्माकं पश्यतामेवं यदि संक्षोभ्यते जगत्

Transliteration

tacca trāṇaṃ sadā kāryaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṃṭhagatairapi | asmākaṃ paśyatāmevaṃ yadi saṃkṣobhyate jagat

Translation

«فلذلك يجب القيام بعمل النجدة دائماً، ولو بلغ نَفَسُ الحياة الحلقوم. فكيف إذا اهتزّ العالم هكذا ونحن ننظر…»

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्राणम्: protection
• त्राणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यम्: to be done; necessary
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• प्राणैः: with (one's) lives/breaths
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कण्ठगतैः: even when (the breaths) have reached the throat (i.e., at death's door)
• कण्ठगतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कण्ठं गताः इति (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास); (प्राणैः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पश्यताम्: while (we) are watching
• पश्यताम्: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) बहुवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); ‘पश्यताम्’ = ‘while we are seeing’ (genitive absolute sense)

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• संक्षोभ्यते: is agitated/disturbed
• संक्षोभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+क्षुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Devas (collectively) addressing Vāsava (Indra) within Sūta’s narration

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Indra (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas in a tense vow-like stance, hands raised in resolve, declaring that rescue must be done even if breath is at the throat; the world trembles in the background as if shaken by impending catastrophe.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vāsava (Indra)
• World (jagat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting the world is a non-negotiable dharma—true guardians act even at the edge of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of duty (dharma) rather than a ritual rule.