Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दर्शयन्तः स्वकान्देहान् लज्जमाना ह्यधोमुखाः । हृतराज्या ह्यन्धकेन कृता निस्तेजसः प्रभो

Transliteration

darśayantaḥ svakāndehān lajjamānā hyadhomukhāḥ | hṛtarājyā hyandhakena kṛtā nistejasaḥ prabho

Translation

ലജ്ജയോടെ തലകുനിച്ച് അവർ മുറിവുകളുടെ അടയാളങ്ങളോടെ സ്വന്തം ദേഹങ്ങൾ കാണിച്ചു. ‘പ്രഭോ, അന്ധകൻ ഞങ്ങളുടെ രാജ്യം കവർന്നു ഞങ്ങളെ തേജസ്സില്ലാത്തവരാക്കി’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• दर्शयन्तः: showing
• दर्शयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक परस्मैपदी शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle) ‘दर्शयन्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• स्वकान्: their own
• स्वकान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; ‘देहान्’ इति विशेषणम्

• देहान्: bodies
• देहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• लज्जमानाः: being ashamed
• लज्जमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लज्ज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक आत्मनेपदी शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present middle participle) ‘लज्जमान’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अधोमुखाः: with faces downcast
• अधोमुखाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समास: अधः + मुख (अधोमुख = downward-faced)

• हृतराज्याः: deprived of kingdom
• हृतराज्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत (हृ धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समास: हृतं राज्यं येषाम्/हृत-राज्य (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्रायः); अर्थतः ‘राज्यं हृतम्’ (whose kingdom was taken)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अन्धकेन: by Andhaka
• अन्धकेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• कृताः: made, rendered
• कृताः: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कृत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘made/turned’

• निस्तेजसः: devoid of splendor, powerless
• निस्तेजसः: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समास: निः + तेजस् = निस्तेजस् (अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुषप्रायः; अर्थः ‘तेजः रहित’)

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Devas (reporting to Vāsudeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of dispossessed beings, heads bowed, reveal wounds and speak of their kingdom seized by Andhaka; Kṛṣṇa (or the addressed Lord) stands as their refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Andhaka
• Vāsudeva (addressed as Prabhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is overpowered, even the mighty can lose tejas; humility and confession before the Lord open the path to restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.