Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वरं विषादनं राज्ञो वरमग्नौ प्रवेशनम् । अनाथानां प्रपन्नानां कृपणानामरक्षणात्

Transliteration

varaṃ viṣādanaṃ rājño varamagnau praveśanam | anāthānāṃ prapannānāṃ kṛpaṇānāmarakṣaṇāt

Translation

Mieux vaut pour un roi le désespoir—mieux encore entrer dans le feu—que de ne pas protéger les sans-appui, les suppliants réfugiés et les pauvres.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Comparative predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd; adverbial use), एकवचन (Singular)

• विषादनम्: dejection, despair
• विषादनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-ṣādana (प्रातिपदिक; from √sad/ṣad with vi-, causative sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्ञः: of a king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Comparative predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd; adverbial use), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्नौ: in fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवेशनम्: entering
• प्रवेशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praveśana (प्रातिपदिक; from √viś with pra-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनाथानाम्: of the helpless
• अनाथानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रपन्नानाम्: of those who have sought refuge
• प्रपन्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-panna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √pad with pra-, past participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• कृपणानाम्: of the wretched
• कृपणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अरक्षणात्: than non-protection (failure to protect)
• अरक्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; nañ + rakṣaṇa)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

A moral admonisher within the narrative (continuing rebuke to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king at the edge of a sacrificial fire-pit (agni) turns away from self-destruction and instead extends his hand in protection to a cluster of helpless supplicants; the fire symbolizes the extreme alternative rejected in favor of dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s gravest failure is neglecting the vulnerable; such neglect is portrayed as worse than self-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a strong ethical injunction about protection.