Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

दुःखशोकाग्निसंतप्तं संसारभयपीडितम् । बहुरोगाकुलं दीनं त्राहि मां वृषवाहन

Transliteration

duḥkhaśokāgnisaṃtaptaṃ saṃsārabhayapīḍitam | bahurogākulaṃ dīnaṃ trāhi māṃ vṛṣavāhana

Translation

Vom Feuer von Kummer und Trauer versengt, von der Furcht vor dem Saṃsāra gequält, von vielen Krankheiten bedrängt und völlig hilflos—rette mich, o Stier-Reiter (Śiva).

Word by Word

• दुःख-शोक-अग्नि-संतप्तम्: burnt/tormented by the fire of sorrow and suffering
• दुःख-शोक-अग्नि-संतप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + संतप्त (√तप् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) विशेषणम्

• संसार-भय-पीडितम्: afflicted by fear of saṃsāra
• संसार-भय-पीडितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (√पीड् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त विशेषणम्

• बहु-रोग-आकुलम्: distressed by many diseases
• बहु-रोग-आकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + रोग (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दीनम्: wretched, miserable
• दीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• त्राहि: protect (me)
• त्राहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृष-वाहन: O bull-bannered/ bull-mounted one (Śiva)
• वृष-वाहन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; संज्ञा (शिवस्य)

Speaker

A devotee/worshipper (ritual petitioner) addressing Śiva (contextual, within pūjā-vidhi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed devotee, emaciated and fevered, kneels with folded hands before Śiva as Vṛṣavāhana; behind the devotee, a stylized ‘fire’ of grief and a dark ocean of saṃsāra; Śiva’s calm gaze grants protection.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vṛṣavāhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Surrender (śaraṇāgati) to Śiva as the protector who removes fear, sorrow, and the bondage of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a universal Śaiva prayer within a ritual manual context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse is a supplicatory invocation (prārthanā) to be recited during Śiva-pūjā.