Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कस्मान्न शत्रुभिर्बद्धान्मृतानिव हतौजसः । कारुण्यादिह संप्राप्य सपत्नीकान्मुमोच यः

Transliteration

kasmānna śatrubhirbaddhānmṛtāniva hataujasaḥ | kāruṇyādiha saṃprāpya sapatnīkānmumoca yaḥ

Translation

„Warum hat er — aus Mitleid hierher gekommen — jene befreit, die von Feinden gefesselt, ihrer Kraft beraubt, wie tot dalagen, dazu noch samt ihren Gattinnen?“

Word by Word

• kasmāt: why, from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक (from what cause/why)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• śatrubhiḥ: by enemies
• śatrubhiḥ: Kartr (Agent of passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; करण/कर्तृ (agent in passive)

• baddhān: bound, tied up
• baddhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baddha (कृदन्त; √bandh (धातु) ‘बन्ध्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• mṛtān: dead
• mṛtān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त; √mṛ (धातु) ‘मृ’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त; उपमानार्थे (as if dead)

• iva: as if, like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-निपात (particle of comparison ‘as/like’)

• hata-ojasaḥ: with strength destroyed, enfeebled
• hata-ojasaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त; √han (धातु) ‘हन्’) + ojas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; ‘हतम् ओजः येषाम्’ (whose strength is destroyed)

• kāruṇyāt: out of compassion
• kāruṇyāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम्; हेतौ (ablative of cause: ‘out of compassion’)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: ‘here’)

• saṃprāpya: having reached, having come
• saṃprāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃ-prāpya (क्त्वान्त; √prāp (धातु) ‘प्राप्’)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund): ‘संप्राप्य’ (having reached/come)

• sapatnīkān: together with (their) wives
• sapatnīkān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + patnī (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; ‘पत्नी सहित’ (with their wives)

• mumoca: released, set free
• mumoca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु) ‘मुच्’
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

The king (continuing inquiry; deduced from preceding verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heroic compassionate figure breaks chains and releases weakened captives along with their wives; enemies retreat; the freed couples collapse in relief and gratitude.

Characters & Entities

• Śatru (enemies)
• Captives

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True valor is joined with compassion—protecting the helpless and restoring dignity is dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights an ethical act (kāruṇya) rather than a ritual.