Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अत एनं द्विजन्मानं हतदारं शुचार्दितम् । गतशोकं करिष्यामि दत्त्वा प्राणानपि प्रियान्

Transliteration

ata enaṃ dvijanmānaṃ hatadāraṃ śucārditam | gataśokaṃ kariṣyāmi dattvā prāṇānapi priyān

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഭാര്യയെ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട് ശോകപീഡിതനായ ഈ ദ്വിജനെ ഞാൻ ശോകത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിപ്പിക്കും; അതിന് എന്റെ പ്രിയ പ്രാണനെയും അർപ്പിക്കേണ്ടിവന്നാലും.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Discourse adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore)

• एनम्: this (him)
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजन्मानम्: twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजन्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हतदारम्: whose wife is dead / bereft of wife
• हतदारम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त, क्त) + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुचार्दितम्: afflicted by grief
• शुचार्दितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुच् (प्रातिपदिक ‘grief’) + अर्दित (कृदन्त, क्त; अर्द् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण

• गतशोकम्: free from sorrow (with sorrow gone)
• गतशोकम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त, क्त; गम् धातु) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• करिष्यामि: I will make/do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakāla-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

• प्रियान्: dear, beloved
• प्रियान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (प्राणान् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Bhadrāyu (inferred from next verse naming him as the king who resolves thus)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A resolute king standing beside a grieving brāhmaṇa whose wife is lost; the king’s hand raised in vow, offering his own life-breaths; atmosphere of solemn compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāyu
• brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rājadharma and human dharma culminate in compassion—relieving others’ suffering even at personal cost.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it advances the ethical narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it implies dāna and protection as practical dharma.