Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

इति दीनां समाकर्ण्य वाचं राजा द्विजा त्मजम् । अशोकदत्तनामानं धैर्यवंतमभाषत

Transliteration

iti dīnāṃ samākarṇya vācaṃ rājā dvijā tmajam | aśokadattanāmānaṃ dhairyavaṃtamabhāṣata

Translation

Entendant ces paroles de détresse, le roi s’adressa au fils du brāhmane, nommé Aśokadatta, ferme et courageux.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/quotative particle)

• दीनाम्: of the distressed (women)
• दीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of the distressed women)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having heard’

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• द्विजात्मजम्: the brahmin’s son
• द्विजात्मजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘द्विजस्य आत्मजः’)

• अशोकदत्तनामानम्: named Aśokadatta
• अशोकदत्तनामानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशोकदत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे नाम-तत्पुरुषप्रयोगः (‘अशोकदत्त-नामानम्’ = named Aśokadatta)

• धैर्यवन्तम्: courageous
• धैर्यवन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धैर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अभाषत: spoke (to)
• अभाषत: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, moved by lamentation, addresses a steadfast brāhmaṇa youth named Aśokadatta, commissioning him for an urgent act of mercy.

Characters & Entities

• Aśokadatta
• Rājā (king)
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with attentive listening to suffering and responding with steadiness and responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha region) as framed within the Setukhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a dhārmic instruction that follows.