Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पश्यामो दूरतो राजञ्जलपूर्णाञ्जला शयान् । पिपासाकुलिताः श्रांता भास्करे वृषसंस्थिते

Transliteration

paśyāmo dūrato rājañjalapūrṇāñjalā śayān | pipāsākulitāḥ śrāṃtā bhāskare vṛṣasaṃsthite

Translation

O König, aus der Ferne sehen wir andere daliegen, die hohle Hände voll Wasser halten — von Durst gequält und erschöpft — während die Sonne im Stier steht.

Word by Word

• पश्यामः: we see
• पश्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु; √पश्य)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from afar’)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• जलपूर्णाञ्जलाः: those whose cupped hands are full of water
• जलपूर्णाञ्जलाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + पूर्ण + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (येषां जलपूर्णा अञ्जलयः ते)

• शयान्: lying down
• शयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शी (धातु) → शय (कृदन्त; शतृ/शानच्-आधार)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘lying’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• पिपासाकुलिताः: distressed by thirst
• पिपासाकुलिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिपासा + आकुलित (कृदन्त; आकुल्/आकुली-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः ‘पिपासया आकुलिताः’ (afflicted by thirst)

• श्रान्ताः: weary
• श्रान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम् (धातु) → श्रान्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• भास्करे: when the sun
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• वृषसंस्थिते: being in (the sign of) Taurus
• वृषसंस्थिते: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष + संस्थित (कृदन्त; सम् + स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी; तत्पुरुषः (वृषे संस्थितः) i.e., ‘situated in Taurus’

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a distance, figures lie prostrate with hands cupped full of water, yet faces show agony of thirst; blazing sun overhead, heat haze, exhaustion; the scene is surreal and tragic.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• bhāskara (sun)
• Vṛṣa (Taurus)
• preta (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic suffering can manifest as cruel frustration—resources appear present, yet relief remains inaccessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supplies vivid motivation for dharma and tīrtha-related merit by portraying the preta condition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the astrological note (sun in Vṛṣa) serves as a temporal setting rather than a stated rite.