Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

परिक्षीणोऽस्मि विप्रेंद्र क्षयव्याधिप्रभावतः । तस्मात्कुरु प्रतीकार महं त्वां शरणं गतः

Transliteration

parikṣīṇo'smi vipreṃdra kṣayavyādhiprabhāvataḥ | tasmātkuru pratīkāra mahaṃ tvāṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

‘O lord among brāhmaṇas, I am utterly worn down by the force of this wasting disease. Therefore, provide a remedy—I have come to you for refuge.’

Word by Word

• परिक्षीणः: emaciated, wasted
• परिक्षीणः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-क्षीण (प्रातिपदिक; √क्षि ‘to waste away’, past participle क्षीण)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• विप्रेंद्र: O lord of brahmins
• विप्रेंद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• क्षयव्याधिप्रभावतः: due to the effect of consumption-disease
• क्षयव्याधिप्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षय-व्याधि-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘due to’)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतु/निष्कर्षवाचक (therefore)

• कुरु: do, make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• प्रतीकारम्: remedy, countermeasure
• प्रतीकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे (as goal)

• गतः: having gone, having resorted
• गतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with अहम्)

Speaker

Candra (Moon)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra, visibly emaciated, speaks with folded hands to Romaka, pleading for a remedy; the sage listens with steady compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Romaka (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in the wise with humility—is a dharmic path to relief when one’s own strength is depleted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Moon seeks guidance for release from decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the act emphasized is śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) and requesting pratīkāra (remedy).