Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तेन मे सुमहद्दुःखं तस्मात्त्राहि नरेश्वर । एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राम उवाच वदतां वरः

Transliteration

tena me sumahadduḥkhaṃ tasmāttrāhi nareśvara | etacchrutvā vaco rāma uvāca vadatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എനിക്ക് മഹാദുഃഖം വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ, ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ, എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കണമേ. ഈ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് വചനങ്ങളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ രാമൻ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); (दुःखम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: from that/therefore
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्राहि: protect/save
• त्राहि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• राम: O Rama
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वदताम्: of speakers
• वदताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle) 'वदत्' इत्यस्य षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified petitioner/narrator; response introduced: Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant, sorrowful, appeals to Rāma; Rāma stands composed, compassionate yet resolute, about to reply—moment of narrative pivot from lament to protection.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• nareśvara (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking refuge in righteous kingship and dharmic authority is upheld; protection of sacred life is a key duty of leadership.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, whose distress becomes the cause for appeal and promised intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse centers on supplication and the narrative pivot to Rāma’s response.