Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

इमां तु विकलां दीनां विहीनां सुतबान्धवैः । रुदन्तीं पतितां पाहि मातरं धरणीतले

Transliteration

imāṃ tu vikalāṃ dīnāṃ vihīnāṃ sutabāndhavaiḥ | rudantīṃ patitāṃ pāhi mātaraṃ dharaṇītale

Translation

Beschütze diese Mutter—gebrochen und arm, ohne Sohn und Verwandte—die weinend zu Boden gefallen ist.

Word by Word

• इमाम्: this (woman)
• इमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; adversative/emphatic

• विकलाम्: helpless, distressed
• विकलाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• दीनाम्: wretched
• दीनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• विहीनाम्: deprived of
• विहीनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ही (धातु) + न (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• सुतबान्धवैः: by sons and relatives
• सुतबान्धवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• रुदन्तीम्: weeping
• रुदन्तीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• पतिताम्: fallen
• पतिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; Imperative 2nd sg

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Feminine accusative singular

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरण्याः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

Speaker

A family elder or grieving relative (exact speaker not specified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother collapsed on the ground, hair loosened, tears flowing; the son stands above, urged to lift and protect her; earth and riverbank dust visible, atmosphere heavy with grief.

Characters & Entities

• mātā (mother)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It calls for compassion and protection of the vulnerable—especially the mother—upholding dharma in times of loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is within the Revā-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical appeal rather than a ritual instruction.