Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यत्र तत्र हतः शूरः शत्रुभिः परिवेष्टितः । अक्षयांल्लभते लोकान्यदि क्लीबं न भाषते

Transliteration

yatra tatra hataḥ śūraḥ śatrubhiḥ pariveṣṭitaḥ | akṣayāṃllabhate lokānyadi klībaṃ na bhāṣate

Translation

Un héros, tué en quelque lieu que ce soit alors qu’il est cerné par les ennemis, obtient des mondes impérissables—pourvu qu’il ne profère pas des paroles de lâcheté.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'where')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'slain'

• शूरः: hero, brave man
• शूरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शत्रुभिः: by enemies
• शत्रुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• परिवेष्टितः: surrounded
• परिवेष्टितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-वेष्ट् (धातु) → परिवेष्टित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'surrounded'

• अक्षयान्: imperishable
• अक्षयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying लोकान्)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तवाचक-निपात (conditional particle: 'if')

• क्लीबम्: an emasculating/impotent word
• क्लीबम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लीब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'impotent/effeminate (word)'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• भाषते: speaks, utters
• भाषते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (contextually)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone kṣatriya hero, wounded yet upright, ringed by hostile warriors; his face calm, lips closed in resolve; above, a luminous path opens toward imperishable worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Śūra
• Śatru
• Akṣaya-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner courage—especially at the final moment—is treated as spiritually decisive, yielding imperishable fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it universalizes the merit of heroic death beyond place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral vow: not to speak klība-vākya (cowardly speech) when facing death in battle.