Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17
Devanagari script
दण्डपालेन निहितः शूले निर्घृणचेतसा । दिनमद्य चतुर्थं मे शूलस्थस्यैव जीवतः
Transliteration
daṇḍapālena nihitaḥ śūle nirghṛṇacetasā | dinamadya caturthaṃ me śūlasthasyaiva jīvataḥ
Translation
«Un bourreau au cœur sans pitié m’a empalé sur un pieu. Aujourd’hui est le quatrième jour que je demeure vivant, fixé sur ce pieu.»
Word by Word
दण्डपालेनby the guard/executioner
दण्डपालेन:
Karta/Agent (कर्ता) in passive / Karaṇa
TypeNoun
Rootदण्डपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दण्डस्य पालः)
निहितःplaced / impaled
निहितः:
Karma (कर्म) / Predicate participle
TypeVerb
Rootनि-धा (धातु)
Formक्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘placed’
शूलेon the stake/spear
शूले:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
निर्घृणचेतसाby one with a merciless mind
निर्घृणचेतसा:
Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर्घृण-चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; चेतस्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः; ‘दण्डपालेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषण
दिनम्a day
दिनम्:
Kāla (काल/Duration)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण
अद्यtoday
अद्य:
Kāla (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअद्य (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (Temporal adverb)
चतुर्थम्the fourth
चतुर्थम्:
Kāla (काल) विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दिनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण
मेmy
मे:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; enclitic
शूलस्थस्यof (me) being on the stake
शूलस्थस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootशूल-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (शूले स्थितः)
एवindeed / just
एव:
Emphasis
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (Particle; emphasis)
जीवतःof (me) living / while alive
जीवतः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootजीवत् (प्रातिपदिक; शतृ-कृदन्त from जीव्)
Formशतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘मे’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे
Speaker
The impaled sufferer/prisoner (continuing his plea)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A bound man impaled on a stake (śūla), gaunt yet alive, four days enduring; a grim executioner implied; the king’s party discovers the scene in twilight gloom.
Characters & Entities
D
daṇḍapāla (executioner)FAQs
Cruelty in punishment is condemned implicitly; dharma demands restraint, investigation, and compassion.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the Setukhaṇḍa narrative background remains implicit.
None.