Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अप्यहं सन्त्यजे प्राणान्सर्वस्वं वा न संशयः । हरिणा सह संग्रामं नाहं कर्तुमहो क्षमः

Transliteration

apyahaṃ santyaje prāṇānsarvasvaṃ vā na saṃśayaḥ | hariṇā saha saṃgrāmaṃ nāhaṃ kartumaho kṣamaḥ

Translation

Eher würde ich mein Leben hingeben — ja sogar alles, was ich besitze, ohne Zweifel; doch ach, ich bin nicht fähig, Krieg gegen Hari (Viṣṇu) zu führen.

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-शब्द (even/also)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• सन्त्यजे: I would abandon / I abandon
• सन्त्यजे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म

• सर्वस्वम्: everything; all possessions
• सर्वस्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (प्राणान् इत्यस्य विकल्प)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• हरिणा: with Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सहकारि

• सह: with
• सह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (with)

• संग्रामम्: battle
• संग्रामम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• कर्तुम्: to do/to wage
• कर्तुम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक अव्ययवत्; कर्म-सम्बन्ध (to do)

• अहो: indeed/alas
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/उद्गारार्थक निपात (interjection)

• क्षमः: capable
• क्षमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अहम्-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ministers/friends (inner); pilgrims/ṛṣis (outer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda with firm gaze, one hand on chest (vow), the other lowered in refusal; symbolic piles of treasure and weapons set aside, indicating renunciation of war against Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion culminates in surrender: one may sacrifice everything, but never oppose the very Lord one recognizes as supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses a vow-like resolve rooted in devotion.