Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सुग्रीव उवाच । संसारांभोधि मध्ये मां जन्ममृत्युजले भये । पुत्रदारधनक्षेत्रवीचिमालासमाकुले

Transliteration

sugrīva uvāca | saṃsārāṃbhodhi madhye māṃ janmamṛtyujale bhaye | putradāradhanakṣetravīcimālāsamākule

Translation

സുഗ്രീവൻ പറഞ്ഞു—സംസാരസമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ ഞാൻ ജനനമരണജലത്തിൽ ഭീതനാണ്; പുത്രൻ, ഭാര്യ, ധനം, ഭൂമി എന്നിവയുടെ തരംഗമാലകളാൽ കലങ്ങുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सुग्रीवः: Sugrīva
• सुग्रीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—सु + ग्रीव (‘having a good neck’)

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

• संसाराम्भोधौ: in the ocean of worldly existence
• संसाराम्भोधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—संसारः अम्भोधिः इव (कर्मधारय/उपमान-प्रायः: ‘ocean of saṃsāra’)

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जन्ममृत्युजले: in the waters of birth and death
• जन्ममृत्युजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म + मृत्यु + जल (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—जन्ममृत्योः जलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘water of birth and death’)

• भये: in fear
• भये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रदारधनक्षेत्रवीचिमालासमाकुले: turbulent with waves of son, wife, wealth, and land
• पुत्रदारधनक्षेत्रवीचिमालासमाकुले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + दार + धन + क्षेत्र + वीचि + माला + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-समासः—पुत्र-दार-धन-क्षेत्र-वीचि-माला-समाकुल (‘agitated by the wave-garland of sons, wife, wealth, and land’); विशेषणम् (qualifying the locative situation)

Speaker

Sugrīva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra / Rāmanātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sugrīva stands on a stormy shore, waves shaped like symbols of family, wealth, and fields; he looks toward a distant shining shrine of Rāmanātha as a safe harbor.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Rāmanātha
• Rāmeśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly attachments are depicted as waves that keep one trapped in fear and the cycle of birth and death, prompting sincere prayer for divine rescue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu/Rāmeśvaram context frames this lament as part of devotion to Rāmanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a supplicatory confession setting up a plea for protection.