Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

रक्ष मां करुणासिंधो कृपादष्ट्यवलोकनात् । मम वृत्तमनालोच्य त्राहि मां कृपया हर

Transliteration

rakṣa māṃ karuṇāsiṃdho kṛpādaṣṭyavalokanāt | mama vṛttamanālocya trāhi māṃ kṛpayā hara

Translation

Beschütze mich, o Ozean des Erbarmens, durch Deinen gnädigen Blick. Ohne mein vergangenes Tun abzuwägen, rette mich aus reiner Gnade, o Hara.

Word by Word

• rakṣa: protect
• rakṣa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• karuṇāsiṃdho: O ocean of compassion
• karuṇāsiṃdho: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā-sindhu (प्रातिपदिक; करुणा + सिन्धु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (करुणायाः सिन्धुः)

• kṛpā: by mercy
• kṛpā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with mercy)

• dṛṣṭi: with (your) glance
• dṛṣṭi: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; (कृपादृष्ट्या = with compassionate glance)

• avalokanāt: from (your) looking; by (your) beholding
• avalokanāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ava-lok (धातु) + ana (प्रत्यय) → avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative singular (from/because of)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• vṛttam: conduct; behavior
• vṛttam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• anālocya: without considering
• anālocya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-loc (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), नञ्-पूर्वक (an-); ‘not considering/having not examined’

• trāhi: save (me)
• trāhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: trā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• kṛpayā: with mercy
• kṛpayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• hara: O Hara (Śiva)
• hara: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

Speaker

Sucharita (devotee-sage), continuing the prayer to Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage kneels with folded hands, eyes moist, pleading for Śiva’s compassionate glance; Śiva’s face softens, a beam-like aura from the eyes symbolizes kṛpā-dṛṣṭi; the sea breeze and āśrama calm frame the plea.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion surpasses human limitation; sincere surrender invites Śiva’s saving grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-region narrative frame (Setukhaṇḍa), where Śiva’s presence sanctifies the sacred geography tied to Setu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit upāsanā: seeking protection through prayer and remembrance (smaraṇa) of Śiva.