Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

निद्रापरवशाः पौरा नैव दास्यंति पावकम् । इत्थं विजयदत्तोऽसावुक्तः पित्रा ज्वरातुरः

Transliteration

nidrāparavaśāḥ paurā naiva dāsyaṃti pāvakam | itthaṃ vijayadatto'sāvuktaḥ pitrā jvarāturaḥ

Translation

നിദ്രാവശരായ നഗരവാസികൾ അഗ്നി തരുകയില്ല. ഇങ്ങനെ പിതാവ് ജ്വരബാധിതനായ വിജയദത്തനോടു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• nidrā-paravaśāḥ: overpowered by sleep
• nidrā-paravaśāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक) + paravaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘निद्रायाः परवशाः’ = under the control of sleep)

• paurāḥ: the townspeople
• paurāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• dāsyanti: will give
• dāsyanti: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

• pāvakam: fire
• pāvakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• ittham: thus
• ittham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• vijaya-dattaḥ: Vijayadatta
• vijaya-dattaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya (प्रातिपदिक) + datta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; नामधेय-तत्पुरुषः (proper name)

• asau: that one/he
• asau: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (‘that/he’)

• uktaḥ: was told/was addressed
• uktaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘उक्तः’ = having been told/said to

• pitrā: by the father
• pitrā: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण/कर्ता), एकवचन

• jvara-āturaḥ: afflicted with fever
• jvara-āturaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvara (प्रातिपदिक) + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘ज्वरेण आतुरः’ = afflicted with fever)

Speaker

Father (with narrator framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fever-stricken boy (Vijayadatta) lies shivering; father speaks with worry, while the town outside sleeps in darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Vijayadatta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of suffering, one should respond with empathy and practical help, even when society is unresponsive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region is the overarching setting of Setukhaṇḍa, but this verse itself does not praise a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed here.