Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रजाः सर्वा विशुष्यन्ति कामेन रहिता विभो

Transliteration

prajāḥ sarvā viśuṣyanti kāmena rahitā vibho

Translation

হে বিভো প্ৰভু, কামশূন্য হৈ পৰাত সকলো প্ৰজা শুকাই মৰি যোৱা যেন হৈছে।

Word by Word

• प्रजाः: creatures, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier of प्रजाः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विशुष्यन्ति: dry up, wither
• विशुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present, 3rd person, Plural; उपसर्ग ‘वि-’

• कामेन: by/through Kāma; due to desire
• कामेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रहिताः: devoid (of)
• रहिताः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहित (रह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रजाः इत्यन्वये ‘रहिताः’ इति पाठे पुल्लिङ्ग-बहुवचनरूपं (पाठभेद/सामान्य-रूपप्रयोग); अर्थतः स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रथमा-बहुवचन — ‘devoid’

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Devas (continuing their appeal)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-context (episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark tableau: creatures and plants droop; devas plead to Brahmā, emphasizing universal withering without Kāma.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Prajā
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even desire, when aligned with dharma, functions as a sustaining force for life and continuity; its loss signals imbalance in the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this line; it serves the plot within the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of cosmic condition.