Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

इमामनाथां कृपणां त्वत्प्राणां त्यक्तवबांधवाम् । मातरं ते परित्यज्य क्व यातोऽसि नृपात्मज

Transliteration

imāmanāthāṃ kṛpaṇāṃ tvatprāṇāṃ tyaktavabāṃdhavām | mātaraṃ te parityajya kva yāto'si nṛpātmaja

Translation

Du hast deine Mutter zurückgelassen—schutzlos, elend und der Verwandten beraubt, deren Leben du selbst warst—wohin bist du gegangen, o Königssohn?

Word by Word

• imām: this (her)
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• anāthām: helpless, without protector
• anāthām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• kṛpaṇām: wretched, pitiable
• kṛpaṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• tvat-prāṇām: whose life depends on you / whose very life is you
• tvat-prāṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तव प्राणाः यस्याः सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• tyaktava-bāndhavām: abandoned by (her) relatives
• tyaktava-bāndhavām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (कृदन्त; त्यज्-धातु) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-भाव: त्यक्ताः बान्धवाः यस्याः सा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (fem. acc. sg.)

• mātaram: mother
• mātaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (2nd pers. gen. sg.)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘having abandoned’

• kva: where
• kva: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• yātaḥ: gone
• yātaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone’ (agreeing with implied ‘tvam’)

• asi: are
• asi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 2nd sg.)

• nṛpa-ātmaja: O king’s son
• nṛpa-ātmaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपस्य आत्मजः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (voc. sg.)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual lament of the mother)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bereft mother in a palace or courtyard, hair loosened, arms raised in lament, addressing the absent prince; attendants stand helpless; the atmosphere is heavy and still.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays the intensity of worldly attachment and grief, setting the stage for teachings on impermanence and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as narrative context within Brahmottara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this shloka; it is a lamentation verse.