Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अनाथान्विवशान्दीनान्क्रोशतः पाहि शंकर । नमस्तेस्तु दयासिंधो रामनाथ महेश्वर

Transliteration

anāthānvivaśāndīnānkrośataḥ pāhi śaṃkara | namastestu dayāsiṃdho rāmanātha maheśvara

Translation

Beschütze uns, o Śaṅkara — hilflos, elend und ohne Zuflucht, laut rufend. Verehrung dir, o Meer der Barmherzigkeit, o Rāma-nātha, o Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• अनाथान्: the helpless/orphans
• अनाथान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विवशान्: helpless, powerless
• विवशान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Plural (qualifying अनाथान्)

• दीनान्: wretched, poor
• दीनान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Plural (qualifying अनाथान्)

• क्रोशतः: crying out
• क्रोशतः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोशत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √क्रुश् (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले ‘crying’; Masculine, Accusative, Plural (qualifying अनाथान्)

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात); indeclinable interjection used with dative ‘to’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative, Singular (to you)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative/benedictive sense, 3rd person, Singular

• दयासिंधो: O ocean of compassion
• दयासिंधो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दयासिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक; दया + सिन्धु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रामनाथ: O Lord of Rāma
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; राम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महेश्वर: O Great Lord
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Sarve Vānarāḥ

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara/Rāma-nātha (Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of distressed devotees with folded hands cry out before a radiant Śiva-liṅga titled ‘Rāma-nātha’; the sea and the faint line of Setu appear in the background, with lamps and bilva leaves at the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati—crying out to Śiva as the compassionate protector—is presented as the saving response to helplessness in saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara (Rameshwaram), invoked by name as Rāmanātha and Maheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is described; the act emphasized is heartfelt salutation and surrender.