Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

शरणं ते वयं प्राप्ता ब्राह्मणेभ्यो भयं गताः । नास्ति वित्तं च दानार्थं तस्माद्रक्ष महोदधे

Transliteration

śaraṇaṃ te vayaṃ prāptā brāhmaṇebhyo bhayaṃ gatāḥ | nāsti vittaṃ ca dānārthaṃ tasmādrakṣa mahodadhe

Translation

Nous sommes venus à toi pour refuge, saisis de crainte devant les brāhmaṇas. Il ne nous reste plus de richesse à offrir en don; protège-nous donc, ô grand Océan.

Word by Word

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular (गतिविशेषे/प्राप्त्यर्थे)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन = Genitive singular; 'of you/your'

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Nominative plural (1st person pronoun)

• प्राप्ताः: have attained/reached
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine nominative plural; क्रियार्थे: 'have reached'

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: from the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन = Masculine, Ablative plural

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• गताः: have come to (fear)
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine nominative plural; 'gone/come to' (i.e., seized by)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = negation particle

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Present, 3rd person singular; 'is/exists'

• वित्तम्: wealth
• वित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction 'and'

• दानार्थम्: for giving (as donation)
• दानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः: दानस्य अर्थः/दानार्थम् = 'for the purpose of giving'

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन = Ablative singular; 'therefore/from that'

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन = Imperative, 2nd person singular; परस्मैपद

• महोदधे: O great ocean
• महोदधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन = Masculine, Vocative singular; कर्मधारयः: महा उदधिः

Speaker

Devas (addressing Sāgara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Samudra-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas, empty-handed and anxious, fold their palms to the Ocean, confessing lack of wealth for gifts and begging protection from brāhmaṇic wrath.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brāhmaṇas
• Mahodadhi/Sāgara (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Failing to plan for dharmic giving creates anxiety; refuge is sought when obligations are unmet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra episode is continued, with the nearby ocean presented as a consequential refuge-space in the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving/dakṣiṇā) is acknowledged as obligatory, though the devas claim inability due to lack of wealth.