Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सत्यायुपि न नो जातु शक्ताः स्युः प्रमथाबलात् । असत्यायुषि किं गत्वा त्यक्त्वा स्वामिनमाहवे

Transliteration

satyāyupi na no jātu śaktāḥ syuḥ pramathābalāt | asatyāyuṣi kiṃ gatvā tyaktvā svāminamāhave

Translation

ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് ‘സത്യായുസ്’ ഉണ്ടായാലും പ്രമഥരുടെ ബലത്തെ ഒരിക്കലും താങ്ങാനാവില്ല. പിന്നെ ആയുസ് തന്നെ ‘അസത്യായുസ്’ ആണെങ്കിൽ, യുദ്ധത്തിൽ സ്വാമിയെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഓടിപ്പോകുന്നതിൽ എന്ത് ഫലം?

Word by Word

• सत्यायुषि: in (the case of) true lifespan/immortality
• सत्यायुषि: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (सत्यं आयुः यस्य/सत्यं आयुः = true life-span); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative enclitic), बहुवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of us)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (ever/at any time)

• शक्ताः: able, capable
• शक्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शक् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (implied subject: we/they)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रमथाबलात्: because of the Pramathas’ strength
• प्रमथाबलात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रमथानां बलात्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असत्यायुषि: in (the case of) a false/short lifespan
• असत्यायुषि: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (असत्यं आयुः = untrue/short lifespan); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: why; what (is the point)
• किम्: Prayojana (Purpose question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय-प्रयोग (interrogative used adverbially: why/what for)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• स्वामिनम्: the master/lord
• स्वामिनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Dānavas/Daitya warriors (collective, inferred from immediate context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior-voice argues: even with assured life we cannot face the Pramathas; without assured life, why flee and abandon our lord in battle? The scene is a counsel of grim honor.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Svāmin (Andhaka, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Duty and loyalty in one’s role (svadharma) are upheld; fleeing from responsibility is portrayed as meaningless even for self-preservation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical reflection on battlefield loyalty.