Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

प्रलापमकरोत्तत्र बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः । धिग्बलं क्षत्रियाणां च धिग्वीर्यं धिक्प्रजीवितम्

Transliteration

pralāpamakarottatra bāṣpaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ | dhigbalaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ ca dhigvīryaṃ dhikprajīvitam

Translation

Dort klagte er, die Augen von Tränen getrübt: „Pfui über die Kraft der Kṣatriyas! Pfui über die Tapferkeit! Pfui über dieses Leben, das nur noch fortdauert!“

Word by Word

• प्रलापम्: lamentation
• प्रलापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अकरोत्: did/made
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः: whose eyes were disturbed/filled with tears
• बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (बहुव्रीहि; ‘बाष्पेण पर्याकुले ईक्षणे यस्य सः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• धिक्: shame on!
• धिक्: Discourse/Exclamation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक निपात (interjection of censure)

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karma (Object of censure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• धिक्: shame on!
• धिक्: Discourse/Exclamation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक निपात

• वीर्यम्: valor/power
• वीर्यम्: Karma (Object of censure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धिक्: shame on!
• धिक्: Discourse/Exclamation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक निपात

• प्रजीवितम्: living/existence
• प्रजीवितम्: Karma (Object of censure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + जीव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (contextual lament)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra stands apart, eyes brimming with tears, hands clenched or fallen limp, speaking bitterly against kṣatriya strength and life’s hollow continuity; the forest or riverbank is quiet.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Kṣatriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and fame cannot secure true victory; inner strength rooted in dharma is higher.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it prepares the shift toward tapas within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse signals a turn from warfare to spiritual striving.