Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । असमर्थाः परित्राणे जिताहारास्तपोन्विताः । नगरेणेह किं कुर्मस्तव भक्तिमभीप्सवः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | asamarthāḥ paritrāṇe jitāhārāstaponvitāḥ | nagareṇeha kiṃ kurmastava bhaktimabhīpsavaḥ

Translation

聖仙たちは言った。「我らは守護し統治する力に乏しく、食を慎み、苦行（タパス）を具えております。あなたへの帰依のみを願う我らが、この都を得てここで何をなすべきでしょうか。」

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative) बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person) बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• असमर्थाः: incapable
• असमर्थाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ऋषयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• परित्राणे: in (the matter of) protection/deliverance
• परित्राणे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परित्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/locative) एकवचन

• जिताहाराः: having controlled diet
• जिताहाराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ऋषयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (जितः आहारः येषाम् = those whose diet is controlled)

• तपोऽन्विताः: endowed with austerity
• तपोऽन्विताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ऋषयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तपसा अन्विताः = endowed with austerity)

• नगरेण: by/with a city
• नगरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: here)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object of कुर्मः; “what”)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• कुर्मः: do (shall we do)
• कुर्मः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person) बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karma (Object of अभिप्सवः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन

• अभीप्सवः: desiring (to obtain)
• अभीप्सवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ऋषयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-इष् (धातु) + वु (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (इच्छार्थक); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; “अभीप्सु” = desiring

Speaker

Ṛṣayas (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The divine instructor addressed as ‘tvaṃ’ (likely the presiding deity/authority in the episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of austere sages—thin, radiant, with matted hair—speak humbly with folded hands, expressing incapacity for protection/governance and asking how to live with a city when they seek only devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True seekers prioritize devotion and austerity, and may hesitate to accept worldly burdens without divine assurance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where sages deliberate on how best to live and serve within a sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a question about suitability for civic responsibility versus devotional life.