Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वरं विषादनं राज्ञो वरमग्नौ प्रवेशनम् । अनाथानां प्रपन्नानां कृपणानामरक्षणात्

Transliteration

varaṃ viṣādanaṃ rājño varamagnau praveśanam | anāthānāṃ prapannānāṃ kṛpaṇānāmarakṣaṇāt

Translation

Besser für einen König ist Verzweiflung, ja besser noch, ins Feuer zu gehen, als die Schutzlosen, die Zuflucht Suchenden und die Armen ungeschützt zu lassen.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Comparative predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd; adverbial use), एकवचन (Singular)

• विषादनम्: dejection, despair
• विषादनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-ṣādana (प्रातिपदिक; from √sad/ṣad with vi-, causative sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्ञः: of a king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Comparative predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd; adverbial use), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्नौ: in fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवेशनम्: entering
• प्रवेशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praveśana (प्रातिपदिक; from √viś with pra-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनाथानाम्: of the helpless
• अनाथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रपन्नानाम्: of those who have sought refuge
• प्रपन्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-panna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √pad with pra-, past participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• कृपणानाम्: of the wretched
• कृपणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अरक्षणात्: than non-protection (failure to protect)
• अरक्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; nañ + rakṣaṇa)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

A moral admonisher within the narrative (continuing rebuke to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king at the edge of a sacrificial fire-pit (agni) turns away from self-destruction and instead extends his hand in protection to a cluster of helpless supplicants; the fire symbolizes the extreme alternative rejected in favor of dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s gravest failure is neglecting the vulnerable; such neglect is portrayed as worse than self-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a strong ethical injunction about protection.