Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पापिनो यदि वध्यंते नैव पालनसंस्थितैः । ततोऽयमक्षमो लोकः कं याति शरणं गुह

Transliteration

pāpino yadi vadhyaṃte naiva pālanasaṃsthitaiḥ | tato'yamakṣamo lokaḥ kaṃ yāti śaraṇaṃ guha

Translation

Ô Guha, si ceux qui sont établis dans la protection ne répriment pas les pécheurs, alors ce monde impuissant, vers qui ira-t-il chercher refuge ?

Word by Word

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वध्यन्ते: are to be slain/are slain
• वध्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• पालनसंस्थितैः: by those appointed for protection
• पालनसंस्थितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालन-संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; पालन + संस्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अभिहित-कर्तृ-समूहः) ‘पालने संस्थित’ = protection/guardianship engaged

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लोकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अक्षमः: incapable, powerless
• अक्षमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लोकः)

• लोकः: the world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कम्: whom
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• याति: goes (to)
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• गुह: O Guha (Skanda)
• गुह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह (प्रातिपदिक; सम्बोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कुमार/स्कन्दस्य नाम

Speaker

Vāsudeva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: People with folded hands look toward an empty throne and extinguishing sacrificial fire; then Guha/Skanda appears as protector, or a righteous king rises, restoring order; the question ‘who is refuge?’ hangs like a banner in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protective authority is sacred duty; when guardians abandon justice, society loses its shelter and dharma collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse addresses universal governance and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes the obligation of pālana (protection) as dharma.