Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

शाकल्य उवाच । परीक्षितं महाराजं तक्षकाद्रक्षितुं भवान्

Transliteration

śākalya uvāca | parīkṣitaṃ mahārājaṃ takṣakādrakṣituṃ bhavān

Translation

Śākalya dit : «Tu devais protéger le roi Parīkṣit contre Takṣaka—»

Word by Word

• śākalyaḥ: Śākalya
• śākalyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• parīkṣitam: Parīkṣit
• parīkṣitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parīkṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (राज्ञः नाम), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mahārājam: the great king
• mahārājam: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahārāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (mahān rājā); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'parīkṣitam' इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन

• takṣakāt: from Takṣaka
• takṣakāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: takṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case/ablative), एकवचन

• rakṣitum: to protect
• rakṣitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु) + tumun (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive): 'to protect'

• bhavān: you (honored sir)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śākalya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śākalya begins the accusation: Kāśyapa is reminded of his mission to protect Parīkṣit from Takṣaka. The scene can show a visionary inset of the king threatened by a serpent while sages converse.

Characters & Entities

• Śākalya
• Parīkṣit
• Takṣaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes the duty to protect when one has the capacity and responsibility; neglect becomes a moral fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly mentioned; the verse references the Parīkṣit–Takṣaka tradition within the Setu-khaṇḍa narrative flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a dharma-accountability point (rakṣaṇa-dharma).