Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्वांकन्यस्तशिरस्कं तमृक्षं तत्याज भूतले । पात्यमानस्ततो राज्ञा नखालंबितपादपः

Transliteration

svāṃkanyastaśiraskaṃ tamṛkṣaṃ tatyāja bhūtale | pātyamānastato rājñā nakhālaṃbitapādapaḥ

Translation

Der König warf jenen Bären, dessen Haupt auf seinem Schoß geruht hatte, zu Boden. Als er vom König hinabgestoßen wurde, klammerte er sich mit den Krallen an einen Baum und hing daran.

Word by Word

• स्वाङ्कन्यस्तशिरस्कम्: (the bear) with head placed on his own lap
• स्वाङ्कन्यस्तशिरस्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यस्त (√नस्/न्यस् धातु, क्त) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्व-अङ्के न्यस्तं शिरः यस्य/यत्र तत्)

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋक्षम्: bear
• ऋक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्याज: abandoned, threw down
• तत्याज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भूः + तलम्)

• पात्यमानः: being dropped/falling
• पात्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + य (णिच्/प्रेरणार्थक) + मान (शानच्/वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे कृदन्तः (पात्यमान = being made to fall/being dropped)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-प्रत्ययान्त/क्रियाविशेषण (then/from there)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• नखालम्बितपादपः: (the bear) whose feet were clinging by claws
• नखालम्बितपादपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + आलम्बित (√लम्ब् धातु, क्त) + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नखैः आलम्बिताः पादपाः यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (within Setukhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king seated on the ground casts down a bear whose head had been resting on his lap; the bear, mid-fall, hooks its claws into a tree and hangs suspended, eyes wide with shock and fury.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta (king)
• Ṛkṣa (bear)
• Tree (pādapa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming one who is helpless and trusting is a stark violation of dharma, highlighted through dramatic action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu sacred tract is the narrative environment; the verse itself focuses on the ethical breach.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative depiction of misconduct.