Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28
शूलप्रोतो द्धतग्रीवं मुमूर्षुं प्राणनायकम् । नास्मि पाययितुं शक्ता जलमेनमधःस्थिता
śūlaproto ddhatagrīvaṃ mumūrṣuṃ prāṇanāyakam | nāsmi pāyayituṃ śaktā jalamenamadhaḥsthitā
«Transpercé par le pieu, le cou dressé, il agonise, lui qui est le seigneur de ma vie. Moi, demeurant en bas, je ne puis lui faire boire cette eau.»
The woman (rucirānanā)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The impaled man’s neck is lifted; he is near death, ‘lord of her life.’ The woman stands below with water, unable to make him drink—an image of tragic distance and devoted helplessness.
FAQs
When the needy cannot be helped by those near them, dharma calls others to step forward with practical compassion.
Setu Kṣetra (Setukhaṇḍa), where service to the suffering becomes a sacred act.
Facilitating the giving of water (jala-dāna) to one who cannot drink without assistance.