Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सत्यायुपि न नो जातु शक्ताः स्युः प्रमथाबलात् । असत्यायुषि किं गत्वा त्यक्त्वा स्वामिनमाहवे

Transliteration

satyāyupi na no jātu śaktāḥ syuḥ pramathābalāt | asatyāyuṣi kiṃ gatvā tyaktvā svāminamāhave

Translation

Selbst wenn unser Leben wahrhaft gesichert wäre, könnten wir der Macht der Pramathas niemals standhalten. Ist das Leben nicht gesichert, wozu fliehen und unseren Herrn im Kampf verlassen?

Word by Word

• सत्यायुषि: in (the case of) true lifespan/immortality
• सत्यायुषि: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (सत्यं आयुः यस्य/सत्यं आयुः = true life-span); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative enclitic), बहुवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of us)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (ever/at any time)

• शक्ताः: able, capable
• शक्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शक् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (implied subject: we/they)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रमथाबलात्: because of the Pramathas’ strength
• प्रमथाबलात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रमथानां बलात्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असत्यायुषि: in (the case of) a false/short lifespan
• असत्यायुषि: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (असत्यं आयुः = untrue/short lifespan); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: why; what (is the point)
• किम्: Prayojana (Purpose question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय-प्रयोग (interrogative used adverbially: why/what for)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• स्वामिनम्: the master/lord
• स्वामिनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Dānavas/Daitya warriors (collective, inferred from immediate context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior-voice argues: even with assured life we cannot face the Pramathas; without assured life, why flee and abandon our lord in battle? The scene is a counsel of grim honor.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Svāmin (Andhaka, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Duty and loyalty in one’s role (svadharma) are upheld; fleeing from responsibility is portrayed as meaningless even for self-preservation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical reflection on battlefield loyalty.