Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

स्वामिन्नः पश्यतामेव सर्वं दैत्यैः प्रगृह्यते । विधेहि रक्षां तेषां त्वं न नष्टः स्मो यथा वयम्

Transliteration

svāminnaḥ paśyatāmeva sarvaṃ daityaiḥ pragṛhyate | vidhehi rakṣāṃ teṣāṃ tvaṃ na naṣṭaḥ smo yathā vayam

Translation

സ്വാമീ! ഞങ്ങൾ നോക്കിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ തന്നെ ദൈത്യർ എല്ലാം കവർന്നെടുക്കുന്നു. അവരുടെ വിരുദ്ധമായി രക്ഷാവിധാനം ചെയ്യുക, ഞങ്ങൾ നശിക്കാതിരിക്കേണ്ടതിന്।

Word by Word

• स्वामिन्: O master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; अर्थ: 'of us/our'

• पश्यताम्: (while you) see
• पश्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: 'you (pl.) see'

• एव: indeed, even
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दैत्यैः: by the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रगृह्यते: is being seized
• प्रगृह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); उपसर्ग: प्र-; अर्थ: 'is seized/taken away'

• विधेहि: provide, arrange
• विधेहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: वि-; अर्थ: 'do/arrange/provide'

• रक्षाम्: protection
• रक्षाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: for them / of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• नष्टः: destroyed, lost
• नष्टः: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √naś)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: 'destroyed/lost'

• स्मः: we are
• स्मः: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; 'we are' (पाठे 'स्मो' = 'स्मः' छन्दसि)

• यथा: as, so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार-bodhana: 'as/so that')

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Devāḥ and Pitaraḥ (addressing Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas and Pitṛs, distressed, point toward a world being ‘seized’ by daityas; they plead to Brahmā for a protective ordinance.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ
• Pitaraḥ
• Daityāḥ
• Brahmā (Svāmin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, one seeks protective ordinances rooted in divine law rather than force alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is specified; the emphasis is on protecting ritual and its recipients.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for instituting rakṣā (ritual protection) so gifts/offerings are not diverted or seized.