Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पितामहस्य चान्ये तु गायत्र्याः शरणं गताः । रक्षरक्षेति जल्पन्तो भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः

Transliteration

pitāmahasya cānye tu gāyatryāḥ śaraṇaṃ gatāḥ | rakṣarakṣeti jalpanto bhayasaṃtrastamānasāḥ

Translation

D’autres cherchèrent refuge auprès de Pitāmaha (Brahmā), et d’autres auprès de Gāyatrī. L’esprit bouleversé par la peur, ils ne cessaient de crier : « Protège, protège ! »

Word by Word

• पितामहस्य: of (their) grandfather
• पितामहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• गायत्र्याः: of Gāyatrī
• गायत्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गताः: having gone (taken)
• गताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्रियार्थे ‘गच्छ्’ (having gone)

• रक्ष: protect!
• रक्ष: Sambodhana/Prayojaka (Appeal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रक्ष: protect!
• रक्ष: Sambodhana/Prayojaka (Appeal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्ति)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• जल्पन्तः: speaking, muttering
• जल्पन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जल्प् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भय: by fear
• भय: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• संत्रस्त: terrified
• संत्रस्त: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) विशेषणरूपे, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• मानसाः: those whose minds were terrified (by fear)
• मानसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास: भय-संत्रस्त-मानस (येषां मनः भयेन संत्रस्तं ते); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, context not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened group, faces tense and hands raised, some turning toward a radiant Brahmā, others toward a luminous Gāyatrī-devī/vedic flame-symbol, mouths repeating “rakṣa rakṣa.”

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When fear arises, dharma points to śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) and mantra-based remembrance as a stabilizing protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not specify a tīrtha; it reinforces devotional responses within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seeking refuge in Gāyatrī (implying Gāyatrī-japa) and invoking divine protection through repeated prayer.