Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

संप्रतिशरणं चैव पीडितानां च शब्दिते । आर्तत्राणपरा ये च क्षत्रिया ब्रह्मणा कृताः

Transliteration

saṃpratiśaraṇaṃ caiva pīḍitānāṃ ca śabdite | ārtatrāṇaparā ye ca kṣatriyā brahmaṇā kṛtāḥ

Translation

പീഡിതർ ആർത്തമായി വിളിക്കുമ്പോൾ അവർ ഉടൻ ആശ്രയമാകണം. ബ്രഹ്മാവാൽ സൃഷ്ടിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആ ക്ഷത്രിയർ ദുഃഖിതരെ രക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിൽ പരായണരാണ്.

Word by Word

• सं-प्रति-शरणम्: immediate refuge
• सं-प्रति-शरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + प्रति (उपसर्ग) + शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-प्रातिपदिक (sense: 'immediate refuge')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात

• पीडितानाम्: of the afflicted
• पीडितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) 'पीडित' used substantively

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात

• शब्दिते: when there is a cry/alarm
• शब्दिते: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्दित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) 'शब्दित' = 'called out/cry raised' (locative of occasion)

• आर्त-त्राण-पराः: devoted to saving the distressed
• आर्त-त्राण-पराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + त्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास: आर्तत्राणे पराः (devoted to rescuing the distressed)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात

• क्षत्रियाः: kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कृताः: were made/created
• कृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense: 'were made/created')

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed group approaches a king; the king steps forward as immediate refuge—hand raised in assurance—while soldiers form a protective circle; a sage witnesses, signifying dharma’s sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred duty of authority is to become refuge for those in pain; compassion expressed as protection is a core kṣatriya virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it provides dharmic orientation within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed; the prescription is ethical—responding to cries of distress with protection.