Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

रक्षोगृहीतं भर्तारं दृष्ट्वा भीताथ तत्प्रिया । उवाच करुणं बाला क्रंदंती भृशवेपिता

Transliteration

rakṣogṛhītaṃ bhartāraṃ dṛṣṭvā bhītātha tatpriyā | uvāca karuṇaṃ bālā kraṃdaṃtī bhṛśavepitā

Translation

羅刹に夫が捕らえられたのを見て、愛しき妻は恐怖に震えた。若き女は哀れに語り、泣き叫び、激しく身を震わせた。

Word by Word

• रक्षःगृहीतम्: seized by a demon
• रक्षःगृहीतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गृहीत (कृदन्त; √ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle) ‘गृहीत’; तृतीया/कर्तृ-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षसा गृहीतम्)

• भर्तारम्: husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• भीता: frightened
• भीता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त; √भी धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then)

• तत्प्रिया: his beloved (wife)
• तत्प्रिया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to भीता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य प्रिया)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• करुणम्: pitiably, with compassion
• करुणम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे कर्मप्रवचनीय-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपं क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial accusative)

• बाला: the young woman
• बाला: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्रन्दन्ती: crying, lamenting
• क्रन्दन्ती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रन्द् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भृशवेपिता: trembling greatly
• भृशवेपिता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृश (अव्यय) + वेपित (कृदन्त; √वेप् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (भृशं वेपिता) + भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young wife, trembling, eyes flooded with tears, sees her husband held captive; her hands are raised in pleading, hair slightly disheveled, ornaments askew, the scene charged with panic and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• rākṣasa
• wife (bālā)
• husband (bhartṛ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, sincere lament and appeal arise from love and fidelity, preparing the ground for an ethical test of compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named here; the verse focuses on the human drama within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive verse.