Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

जातमात्रः कुमारोऽपि विनष्टपितृमातृकः । रुरोदोच्चैः सरस्तीरे क्षुत्पिपासार्दितोऽबलः

Transliteration

jātamātraḥ kumāro'pi vinaṣṭapitṛmātṛkaḥ | rurodoccaiḥ sarastīre kṣutpipāsārdito'balaḥ

Translation

生まれたばかりのその少年は、父母を失い、湖のほとりで声高く泣き叫んだ。飢えと渇きに責められ、力も尽きていた。

Word by Word

• जातमात्रः: just-born
• जातमात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (√जन्, धातु) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त), 'जात' + 'मात्र' = 'just born'

• कुमारः: boy, child
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), 'also/even'

• विनष्टपितृमातृकः: bereft of father and mother
• विनष्टपितृमातृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनष्ट (√नश्, धातु; क्त) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—पितृमातृक (तत्पुरुष: 'having father and mother') + विनष्ट (कृदन्त-क्त) = 'whose parents are lost'

• रुरोद: cried, wept
• रुरोद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उच्चैः: loudly
• उच्चैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सरःतीरे: on the lake-shore
• सरःतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तीर), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—सरस्-तीर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• क्षुत्पिपासार्दितः: afflicted by hunger and thirst
• क्षुत्पिपासार्दितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पिपासा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दित (√अर्द्/√अर्दय्, धातु; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—क्षुत्-पिपासा (द्वन्द्व) + अर्दित (क्त) = 'afflicted by hunger and thirst'

• अबलः: weak, helpless
• अबलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in the given snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newborn boy lies on a lake-bank, crying loudly; the shore is quiet except for ripples and reeds; the child’s frailty (hunger, thirst) is emphasized against the vastness of water and sky.

Characters & Entities

• kumāra (child)
• saras-tīra (lake bank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The helplessness of a newborn highlights the Purāṇic call to compassion (dayā) and protection of the vulnerable as a core dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the action remains at the lake-bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the child’s condition.