Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सबलैर्बलहीनानां प्रतापो विजितः परैः । सांप्रतं तु विधास्यामि तपो युष्मद्बलाय वै

Transliteration

sabalairbalahīnānāṃ pratāpo vijitaḥ paraiḥ | sāṃprataṃ tu vidhāsyāmi tapo yuṣmadbalāya vai

Translation

Quand les forts affrontent les affaiblis, l’éclat des sans-force est vaincu par autrui. C’est pourquoi, maintenant, j’entreprendrai l’austérité (tapas), afin d’accroître votre puissance.

Word by Word

• सबलैः: by the strong
• सबलैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बलहीनानाम्: of the weak
• बलहीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बलात् हीन); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रतापः: might/splendor
• प्रतापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विजितः: has been conquered
• विजितः: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + वि + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘विजित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परैः: by others/enemies
• परैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सांप्रतम्: now/at present
• सांप्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक (but/indeed)

• विधास्यामि: I shall perform/arrange
• विधास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) + वि
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• युष्मद्-बलाय: for your strength
• युष्मद्-बलाय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (युष्माकं बलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu/Garuḍadhvaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (and through narration, the audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker acknowledges the plight of the weakened and vows to undertake austerity to restore their power; the mood is martial yet inward—strength sought through renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)
• Devas
• Daityas (implied enemies)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a divine and dharmic means to restore strength and order when righteousness is oppressed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the implied destination and sacred field where the Lord’s tapas will be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is explicitly mentioned as the chosen spiritual discipline to generate strength and protection.