Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अरण्ये निर्जले स्थाने जलांतःपरिपीडितः । शरण्यं शंकरं कृत्वा मनो निश्चलमात्मनः

Transliteration

araṇye nirjale sthāne jalāṃtaḥparipīḍitaḥ | śaraṇyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ kṛtvā mano niścalamātmanaḥ

Translation

Im Wald, an einem wasserlosen Ort, innerlich von Durst gequält; indem er Śaṅkara zu seiner Zuflucht macht, soll er den eigenen Geist festigen, damit er nicht wankt.

Word by Word

• अरण्ये: in a forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• निर्जले: waterless
• निर्जले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जल (प्रातिपदिक; निर्- + जल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अरण्ये/स्थाने)

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• जल-अन्तः-परिपीडितः: afflicted inwardly (by thirst/water)
• जल-अन्तः-परिपीडितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + परि-पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; ‘अन्तः’ इति अव्ययपूर्वक-समासः; Past passive participle used adjectivally

• शरण्यम्: the refuge-giving
• शरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शंकरम्)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Proper noun

• कृत्वा: having made/taken (as)
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Subject

• निश्चलम्: steady, unmoving
• निश्चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक; निः- + चल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मनः)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched forest scene: an ascetic pilgrim with cracked lips and dust on skin sits beneath a sparse tree, hands in dhyāna-mudrā, visualizing Śaṅkara as a luminous liṅga or as the calm-faced deity; the mind is depicted as a still lake despite the dry land.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hardship on pilgrimage becomes a means of inner steadiness when Śiva is taken as refuge and the mind is held firm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, indicating the sanctity of that pilgrimage-terrain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in Śiva) and mental steadiness (niścala-manas) amid ascetic conditions.