Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सापत्नजः कलिर्नास्ति मम भाग्यपरिक्षये । देवेन्द्रो गुरुणा पूर्वं वारितः किं करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

sāpatnajaḥ kalirnāsti mama bhāgyaparikṣaye | devendro guruṇā pūrvaṃ vāritaḥ kiṃ karomyaham

Translation

«Quand ma fortune décline, il ne demeure plus pour moi de querelle née de la rivalité. Indra lui-même, seigneur des dieux, fut jadis retenu par son guru — que puis-je donc faire?»

Word by Word

• सापत्नजः: born of a rival wife; stepbrother-born
• सापत्नजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सापत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सापत्नस्य/सपत्नीसम्बन्धिनः जातः)

• कलिः: Kali (personified strife)
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-पद (particle of negation)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भाग्यपरिक्षये: in the exhaustion of (my) fortune
• भाग्यपरिक्षये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + परिक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भाग्यस्य परिक्षये)

• देवेन्द्रः: Indra, lord of the gods
• देवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् इन्द्रः)

• गुरुणा: by the guru/teacher
• गुरुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वारितः: was restrained/forbidden
• वारितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘वारितः (अस्ति)’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sārasvata (reporting a character’s lament; likely Indra/Śakra in context, but not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled figure confesses: fortune is failing, no rivalry remains to even contest, and Indra himself was checked by his guru—hands spread in helpless questioning; behind, a serene guru silhouette signifies restraint and order.

Characters & Entities

• Devendra (Indra)
• Guru (Bṛhaspati implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful rulers are bound by dharma through reverence to the guru; restraint is itself a mark of righteous order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned; the verse is ethical-narrative context within the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights guru-obedience as a dhārmic discipline rather than a formal rite.