Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

शक्रो दीनत्वमापन्नः श्रांतवाहनवाहनः । कर्तव्यतां नाध्यगच्छत्प्रोवाचेदं जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

śakro dīnatvamāpannaḥ śrāṃtavāhanavāhanaḥ | kartavyatāṃ nādhyagacchatprovācedaṃ janārdanam

Translation

ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ദൈന്യത്തിലായി; അവന്റെ വാഹനം പോലും ക്ഷീണിച്ചു. എന്ത് ചെയ്യണമെന്ന് അറിയാതെ അദ്ദേഹം ജനാർദനൻ (വിഷ്ണു)നോട് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• śakraḥ: Indra (Śakra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dīnatvam: wretchedness, dejection
• dīnatvam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīnatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āpannaḥ: having fallen into, having become
• āpannaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√pad (धातु) + kta (क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (śakraḥ)

• śrānta: tired, exhausted
• śrānta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (vahana-विशेषण)

• vāhana: mount, vehicle
• vāhana: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (vāhana-विशेष्य)

• vāhanaḥ: (he) whose vehicle is weary
• vāhanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: śrānta-vāhana-vāhanaḥ = ‘whose mount is a tired mount’ (i.e., having a weary vehicle)

• kartavyatām: what ought to be done; sense of duty
• kartavyatām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartavyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• adhyagacchat: understood, came to know
• adhyagacchat: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√gam (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• provāca: said, spoke forth
• provāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• idam: this (speech/words)
• idam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• janārdanam: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārdanam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, weary and downcast, sits upon or beside his exhausted Airāvata; he turns toward Janārdana with folded hands, seeking guidance amid a dim battlefield sky.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In dharma’s crisis, humility and seeking higher guidance is itself a virtue; leadership includes turning to wisdom beyond oneself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse highlights a theological moment of seeking refuge in Viṣṇu’s counsel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.