Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

म्रियमाणेषु सर्वेषु एका स्त्री समतिष्ठत । तया तु रक्षितो गर्भ ऊर्वोर्देशे निधाय च

Transliteration

mriyamāṇeṣu sarveṣu ekā strī samatiṣṭhata | tayā tu rakṣito garbha ūrvordeśe nidhāya ca

Translation

Als alle hingemordet wurden, blieb eine Frau standhaft. Durch sie wurde der Embryo bewahrt, indem sie ihn in die Gegend ihres Schenkels legte.

Word by Word

• mriyamāṇeṣu: when (they were) dying
• mriyamāṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Context-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mriyamāṇa (कृदन्त; √mṛ मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय (वर्तमानकाले), आत्मनेपद-भाव; 'while dying'

• sarveṣu: all
• sarveṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• ekā: one
• ekā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• strī: woman
• strī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• samatiṣṭhata: stood firm, remained
• samatiṣṭhata: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था) with sam-
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानसूचक

• rakṣitaḥ: was protected
• rakṣitaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त; √rakṣ रक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; कर्मणि; 'was protected'

• garbhaḥ: the embryo/fetus
• garbhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ūrvoḥ: of the thighs
• ūrvoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• deśe: in a place/region
• deśe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• nidhāya: having placed
• nidhāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा) with ni-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) = निधानं कृत्वा; अव्ययभाव; 'having placed'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Amid slaughter, a lone woman stands firm, shielding an embryo by placing it in/near her thigh region—an intimate, tense moment of protection and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• A woman (unnamed)
• Embryo (Aaurva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid catastrophe, steadfast courage and compassion protect dharma and preserve the future.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is narrated within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya as part of its sacred-history tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it recounts the protective act that enables the sage’s birth.