Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

सयुग्वानं महात्मानं तमेव शरणं व्रजे । कृपानिधिः स वै रैक्वः शरणं मामु पागतम्

Transliteration

sayugvānaṃ mahātmānaṃ tameva śaraṇaṃ vraje | kṛpānidhiḥ sa vai raikvaḥ śaraṇaṃ māmu pāgatam

Translation

ഞാൻ ആ മഹാത്മാവായ സയുഗ്വാനനെയേ ശരണം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. റൈക്വൻ കരുണാനിധിയാണ്; ശരണാർത്ഥിയായി വന്ന എനിക്ക് അവൻ തീർച്ചയായും അഭയം നൽകും.

Word by Word

• सयुग्वानम्: the well-yoked (one)
• सयुग्वानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-युग्वान् (प्रातिपदिक; स + युग्वान्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गत्यर्थे) ‘शरणं व्रज्’ इति प्रयोगे गन्तव्य-रूपे

• व्रजे: I go/I take (refuge)
• व्रजे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृपानिधिः: treasure of compassion
• कृपानिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा-निधि (प्रातिपदिक; कृपा + निधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed/truly
• वै: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assuring particle)

• रैक्वः: Raikva
• रैक्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैक्व (प्रातिपदिक; व्यक्तिनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उ: indeed/also
• उ: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• पागतम्: who has come/approached
• पागतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘माम्’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

King Jānaśruti (resolve/utterance in narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-borns) addressed in the surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king/seeker, hands folded, resolves to take refuge in the compassionate sage Raikva/Sayugvāna; the setting suggests a sacred coastal kṣetra with dawn-light anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Sayugvāna
• Raikva
• Jānaśruti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The proper response to spiritual awakening is śaraṇāgati—approaching the realized with humility and trust in their compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the ‘practice’ here is taking refuge in a worthy teacher.