Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा शूलस्थितं ज्येष्ठं मन्मनो नु विदीर्यते । परं किं तु करिष्यामि येन राष्ट्रं सराजकम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā śūlasthitaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ manmano nu vidīryate | paraṃ kiṃ tu kariṣyāmi yena rāṣṭraṃ sarājakam

Translation

Als ich meinen älteren Bruder auf den Pfahl gespießt sah, zerriss es mir den Geist. Doch was kann ich tun, um das Reich samt seinem König zu richten?

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• शूल-स्थितम्: situated on a stake/spear
• शूल-स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (√स्था + क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी/अधिकरणार्थक तत्पुरुष (शूले स्थितः इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ज्येष्ठम्)

• ज्येष्ठम्: the elder (brother)
• ज्येष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of दृष्ट्वा)

• मत्-मनः: my mind
• मत्-मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषय (subject of विदीर्यते)

• नु: indeed/now (emphatic)
• नु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनुनयार्थक निपात (particle)

• विदीर्यते: is torn apart
• विदीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दॄ (धातु) (विदारणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे—'is torn/splits'

• परम्: then/further
• परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'further/then')

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of करिष्यामि)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/व्यतिरेकार्थक अव्यय (but)

• करिष्यामि: shall I do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument/means)

• राष्ट्रम्: kingdom
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object—what is to be protected/managed)

• स-राजकम्: with its king
• स-राजकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/सम्-प्रातिपदिक) + राजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सह-अर्थक तत्पुरुष (राजकेन सह); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying राष्ट्रम्)

Speaker

Nārāyaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-sannidhi (near Māṇḍavya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣis / tīrtha-śravaṇa seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The elder is seen impaled; the younger’s face shows shock and fury, hands clenched, while sages and the hermitage stand witness; the kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Māṇḍavya (implied)
• King (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands response to injustice, but the response must consider the welfare of the realm and the moral consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revākhaṇḍa setting implies the Revā sacred region; this verse itself centers on the ethical crisis, not a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a deliberation on action and consequence.