Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अध्रुवं सर्वदुःखानामाश्रयं सुजुगुप्सितम् । यदा ह्येतत्तदा युक्तः परित्यागोऽस्य सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

adhruvaṃ sarvaduḥkhānāmāśrayaṃ sujugupsitam | yadā hyetattadā yuktaḥ parityāgo'sya sāṃpratam

Translation

Dieser Körper ist unbeständig, eine Zuflucht aller Leiden, und mit Recht als unerquicklich zu betrachten. Da es so ist, ist es wahrlich passend, ihn jetzt aufzugeben.

Word by Word

• अध्रुवम्: impermanent, unstable
• अध्रुवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेधार्थ ‘अ-’

• सर्वदुःखानाम्: of all sorrows
• सर्वदुःखानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सर्वाणि दुःखानि)

• आश्रयम्: refuge, support, abode
• आश्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सुजुगुप्सितम्: highly detestable
• सुजुगुप्सितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + जुगुप्सित (कृदन्त; √गुप्स्/गुप्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्ग/उपपद-तीव्रतावाचक

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Temporal marker/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक यद्-प्रत्यय (relative adverb: when)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• एतत्: this (body/thing)
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Temporal marker/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative adverb: then)

• युक्तः: proper, appropriate
• युक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘proper/fit’

• परित्यागः: abandonment, renunciation
• परित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of this’

• सांप्रतम्: now, at present
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: at present/now)

Speaker

Dadhīci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/listeners in the Purāṇic setting

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dadhīci delivers a calm teaching: the body is unstable and a refuge of sorrows; therefore renouncing it now is appropriate—his face serene, eyes inward.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vairāgya: recognizing bodily impermanence makes timely renunciation a dharmic and wise choice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where such teachings are embedded in the site’s sacred narrative memory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual; it teaches inner discipline—detachment and readiness for self-offering.