Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मज्जद्ब्रह्मांडखंडे च पतितं नाप्तपारकम् । क्रोशंतमवशं दीनं विषयव्या लकातरम्

Transliteration

majjadbrahmāṃḍakhaṃḍe ca patitaṃ nāptapārakam | krośaṃtamavaśaṃ dīnaṃ viṣayavyā lakātaram

Translation

ഈ മഹാബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഖണ്ഡത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ ഞാൻ പതിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; കടക്കാനുള്ള മാർഗം ഒന്നും ലഭിച്ചില്ല. അവശനും ദീനനും ആയി ഞാൻ നിലവിളിക്കുന്നു—വിഷയരൂപ സർപ്പങ്ങളെ ഭയന്ന് വിറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मज्जत्: sinking
• मज्जत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भाव्य; अत्र समास-पूर्वपदत्वात् अव्ययवत्; अर्थः ‘डूबत्/डूबन्तम्’

• ब्रह्माण्डखण्डे: in a fragment of the universe (cosmic egg)
• ब्रह्माण्डखण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—ब्रह्माण्डस्य खण्डः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; पत् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘माम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (understood)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• आप्तपारकम्: not having reached the far shore
• आप्तपारकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त + पारक (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—आप्तं पारं यस्य (नञ्-रहित; ‘having reached the far shore’)—अत्र ‘न’ सह ‘not having reached the far shore’

• क्रोशन्तम्: crying out
• क्रोशन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवशम्: helpless
• अवशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दीनम्: wretched
• दीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विषयव्यालकातरम्: frightened by the serpent-like sense-objects
• विषयव्यालकातरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय + व्याल + कातर (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—विषयाः व्यालाः इव (कर्मधारय-प्रायः) तैः कातरम् (‘terrified by the serpent-like sense-objects’)

Speaker

Sugrīva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra / Rāmanātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiny figure (Sugrīva) clings to a broken raft amid cosmic waters; enormous serpent-forms rise as sense-objects; above, a calm luminous Śiva presence indicates rescue.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Rāmanātha
• Rāmeśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-objects intensify fear and bondage; recognizing helplessness becomes the doorway to wholehearted devotion and the search for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram/Setu, the sacred setting of the prayer to Rāmanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse continues the prayerful mood of surrender.