Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सापत्नजः कलिर्नास्ति मम भाग्यपरिक्षये । देवेन्द्रो गुरुणा पूर्वं वारितः किं करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

sāpatnajaḥ kalirnāsti mama bhāgyaparikṣaye | devendro guruṇā pūrvaṃ vāritaḥ kiṃ karomyaham

Translation

„Wenn mein Glück schwindet, bleibt mir kein aus Rivalität geborener Streit. Selbst Indra, der Herr der Götter, wurde einst von seinem Guru zurückgehalten—was soll ich da tun?“

Word by Word

• सापत्नजः: born of a rival wife; stepbrother-born
• सापत्नजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सापत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सापत्नस्य/सपत्नीसम्बन्धिनः जातः)

• कलिः: Kali (personified strife)
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-पद (particle of negation)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भाग्यपरिक्षये: in the exhaustion of (my) fortune
• भाग्यपरिक्षये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + परिक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भाग्यस्य परिक्षये)

• देवेन्द्रः: Indra, lord of the gods
• देवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् इन्द्रः)

• गुरुणा: by the guru/teacher
• गुरुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वारितः: was restrained/forbidden
• वारितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘वारितः (अस्ति)’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sārasvata (reporting a character’s lament; likely Indra/Śakra in context, but not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled figure confesses: fortune is failing, no rivalry remains to even contest, and Indra himself was checked by his guru—hands spread in helpless questioning; behind, a serene guru silhouette signifies restraint and order.

Characters & Entities

• Devendra (Indra)
• Guru (Bṛhaspati implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful rulers are bound by dharma through reverence to the guru; restraint is itself a mark of righteous order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned; the verse is ethical-narrative context within the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights guru-obedience as a dhārmic discipline rather than a formal rite.