Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

आर्तानां शरणार्तानां त्राणं कुर्वंति पार्थिवाः । प्राणैरर्थैश्च धर्मज्ञास्तद्विहीना मृतोपमाः

Transliteration

ārtānāṃ śaraṇārtānāṃ trāṇaṃ kurvaṃti pārthivāḥ | prāṇairarthaiśca dharmajñāstadvihīnā mṛtopamāḥ

Translation

ଧର୍ମଜ୍ଞ ରାଜାମାନେ ଆର୍ତ୍ତ ଓ ଶରଣାଗତଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାଣ ଓ ଧନ ଦେଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ରକ୍ଷା କରନ୍ତି। ଯେମାନେ ଏହି ଭାବ ହୀନ, ସେମାନେ ମୃତତୁଲ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• आर्तानाम्: of the afflicted
• आर्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārtá (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextually plural persons), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शरण: refuge
• शरण: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• आर्तानाम्: of the distressed
• आर्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārtá (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextually plural persons), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्राणम्: protection
• त्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वन्ति: do, provide
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पार्थिवाः: kings, rulers
• पार्थिवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्राणैः: with (their) lives
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अर्थैः: with wealth/resources
• अर्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• धर्मज्ञाः: knowers of dharma
• धर्मज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-jña (प्रातिपदिक: dharma + jña)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharmaṃ jānāti/knower of dharma)

• तत्: that (i.e., such protection)
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• विहीनाः: devoid of it
• विहीनाः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मृतोपमाः: like the dead
• मृतोपमाः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta-upama (प्रातिपदिक: mṛta + upama)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय (mṛta iva upamāḥ = like the dead)

Speaker

A moral instructor within the narrative (same female speaker continuing), addressing the kingly ideal

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-knowing king stands before petitioners—wounded, displaced, and supplicants with folded hands—offering protection, even as ministers warn of cost; the king’s resolve is shown as a radiant aura of dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇa (protecting those who surrender) is central to rāja-dharma; without it, rulership is spiritually hollow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the ‘prescription’ is protection through sacrifice of resources if needed.