Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 199

Devanagari script

पितरं मातरं पुत्रस्त्यक्त्वा भार्यां निषेवते । न गुरुः स्वजनः कश्चित्कोऽपि कं नानुसेवते

Transliteration

pitaraṃ mātaraṃ putrastyaktvā bhāryāṃ niṣevate | na guruḥ svajanaḥ kaścitko'pi kaṃ nānusevate

Translation

Der Sohn wird Vater und Mutter verlassen und sich an die Ehefrau klammern. Es wird keinen verehrungswürdigen Guru geben, keinen wahren Verwandten — niemand wird jemandem treu folgen oder dienen.

Word by Word

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of ‘tyaktvā’)

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) ‘having abandoned’

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of ‘niṣevate’)

• निषेवते: associates with/serves
• निषेवते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• गुरुः: teacher/guru
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (no one is a guru / no guru exists)

• स्वजनः: one’s own relative
• स्वजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (one’s own kinsman)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• कः: someone
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित/प्रश्नार्थ (here: ‘someone’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (even/also)

• कम्: whom/anyone
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of ‘anusevate’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अनुसेवते: attends/serves/follows
• अनुसेवते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poignant tableau: aged parents seated aside, a son turning away toward his wife; a vacant āsana of the guru with discarded scriptures; the kṣetra’s shrine in the distance as the silent witness.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Family Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rests on gratitude and right relationships—honoring parents, respecting the guru, and practicing faithful service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it describes Kali-yuga social breakdown within the larger Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the prescription is ethical—sevā (service), guru-reverence, and filial responsibility.