Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अप्राप्य सलिलं भूमावभ्याशे द्रुतमेव ते । तत्रतत्र व्यदृश्यन्त मृता दैत्येश्वराभुवि

Transliteration

aprāpya salilaṃ bhūmāvabhyāśe drutameva te | tatratatra vyadṛśyanta mṛtā daityeśvarābhuvi

Translation

Ne pouvant obtenir d’eau, ils s’effondrèrent vite sur le sol tout proche; et là, sur la terre du seigneur des Daityas, on les vit gisant morts en maints endroits.

Word by Word

• अप्राप्य: without reaching
• अप्राप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-प्राप्य (प्राप् धातु; क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त) अव्ययभावः; नञ्-पूर्वकः (अ-), क्रियाविशेषणम्; ‘प्राप्य’ = प्राप्त्वा, ‘अप्राप्य’ = अप्राप्त्वा

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अभ्याशे: nearby / in the vicinity
• अभ्याशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्याश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम्

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (अवधारण)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वनाम)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• तत्र: here and there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (तत्रतत्र = सर्वत्र)

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen / appeared
• व्यदृश्यन्त: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्गः ‘वि-’

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (मृ धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्

• दैत्येश्वराभुवि: on the land of the lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येश्वराभुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-ईश्वर-भुवि (दैत्य प्रातिपदिक + ईश्वर प्रातिपदिक + भुवि/भू (प्रातिपदिक ‘भू/भुवि’ = भूमि))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्येश्वरस्य भुवि = दैत्यराजस्य भूमौ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scorched battlefield where daityas, unable to find water, collapse and lie dead in scattered clusters; dust, heat-haze, and abandoned weapons dominate the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya (as a class)
• Daityeśvara (lord of the Daityas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life’s supports can fail suddenly; adharma-driven power is unstable, and mortality humbles all—encouraging surrender to righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the verse references a Daitya ruler’s territory rather than a pilgrimage geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive verse about collapse and death during crisis.