Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अस्माकं मृत्युरूपं तद्भोजनं नास्ति संशयः । तदस्मान्रक्ष भगवन्विषण्णागतचेतसः

Transliteration

asmākaṃ mṛtyurūpaṃ tadbhojanaṃ nāsti saṃśayaḥ | tadasmānrakṣa bhagavanviṣaṇṇāgatacetasaḥ

Translation

ആ ഭോജനം ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് സാക്ഷാൽ മരണസ്വരൂപം തന്നെയാണ്—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല. അതിനാൽ, ഭഗവാനേ, വിഷണ്ണചിത്തത്തോടെ ശരണം വന്ന ഞങ്ങളെ രക്ഷിക്കണമേ।

Word by Word

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

• mṛtyu-rūpam: death-like, in the form of death
• mṛtyu-rūpam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tad-bhojanam) = 'having the form of death'

• tat-bhojanam: that food/meal
• tat-bhojanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

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

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• tat: therefore
• tat: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (sentence connector) = 'therefore/so'

• asmān: us
• asmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• rakṣa: protect
• rakṣa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (रक्ष्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• viṣaṇṇa-āgata-cetasaḥ: with minds sunk in despair
• viṣaṇṇa-āgata-cetasaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣaṇṇa (कृदन्त; √sad (सद्) with vi-; 'dejected') + āgata (कृदन्त; ā+√gam (गम्) + क्त; 'come') + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; बहुपद-समासः; विशेषण (qualifying asmān) = 'whose minds have become dejected/come to despair'

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (speaking to Agastya)

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Brāhmaṇas
• Ilvala (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge is sought in dharma and realized sages; despair is transformed into protection when one approaches the righteous with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, presenting the tīrtha-region as a place where dharma is defended through ṛṣi-power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse emphasizes śaraṇāgati (seeking protection/refuge) before a sage.