Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्वांकन्यस्तशिरस्कं तमृक्षं तत्याज भूतले । पात्यमानस्ततो राज्ञा नखालंबितपादपः

Transliteration

svāṃkanyastaśiraskaṃ tamṛkṣaṃ tatyāja bhūtale | pātyamānastato rājñā nakhālaṃbitapādapaḥ

Translation

Le roi jeta à terre cet ours dont la tête reposait sur ses genoux. Comme il était projeté par le roi, il s’agrippa de ses griffes à un arbre et y demeura suspendu.

Word by Word

• स्वाङ्कन्यस्तशिरस्कम्: (the bear) with head placed on his own lap
• स्वाङ्कन्यस्तशिरस्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यस्त (√नस्/न्यस् धातु, क्त) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्व-अङ्के न्यस्तं शिरः यस्य/यत्र तत्)

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋक्षम्: bear
• ऋक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्याज: abandoned, threw down
• तत्याज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भूः + तलम्)

• पात्यमानः: being dropped/falling
• पात्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + य (णिच्/प्रेरणार्थक) + मान (शानच्/वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे कृदन्तः (पात्यमान = being made to fall/being dropped)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-प्रत्ययान्त/क्रियाविशेषण (then/from there)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• नखालम्बितपादपः: (the bear) whose feet were clinging by claws
• नखालम्बितपादपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + आलम्बित (√लम्ब् धातु, क्त) + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नखैः आलम्बिताः पादपाः यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (within Setukhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king seated on the ground casts down a bear whose head had been resting on his lap; the bear, mid-fall, hooks its claws into a tree and hangs suspended, eyes wide with shock and fury.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmagupta (king)
• Ṛkṣa (bear)
• Tree (pādapa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming one who is helpless and trusting is a stark violation of dharma, highlighted through dramatic action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu sacred tract is the narrative environment; the verse itself focuses on the ethical breach.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative depiction of misconduct.