Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्तुत्वा वाचाथ रामं हि त्वयि नाथे नु सांप्रतम् । शून्या वर्ते चिरं कालं यथा दोषस्तथैव हि

Transliteration

stutvā vācātha rāmaṃ hi tvayi nāthe nu sāṃpratam | śūnyā varte ciraṃ kālaṃ yathā doṣastathaiva hi

Translation

Nachdem sie so gepriesen hatte, sprach (die Gottheit) zu Rāma: „Nun, da du mein Herr bist, bin ich dennoch lange Zeit leer und verödet geblieben — wie zuvor, im selben leidvollen Zustand.“

Word by Word

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having praised)

• वाचा: with speech/words
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• रामम्: Rāma
• रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• त्वयि: in you/when you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नाथे: (as) lord/protector
• नाथे: Adhikarana (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि (as ‘O lord’) सम्भवः

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

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रत (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: now/at present)

• शून्या: empty/desolate
• शून्या: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अहम् understood)

• वर्ते: I remain/am
• वर्ते: Kriya (Action/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (for a long time)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Kala (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; काल-परिमाणे (accusative of duration)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• दोषः: fault/defect
• दोषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप-प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (so/likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra Adhidevatā (the presiding deity of Dharmāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After praise, the presiding deity/voice addresses Rāma with a plaintive confession: despite having a lord now, the place has long remained empty and afflicted.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sacred places can decline when dharma is obstructed; divine protection is invoked for restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra, presented as a living sacred landscape capable of suffering and renewal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the condition that calls for remedial divine action.