Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

आत्मा च सततं पुत्र रक्षितव्यः प्रयत्नतः । सर्वेभ्यः श्वापदेभ्यश्च म्लेच्छेभ्यस्तस्करादितः

Transliteration

ātmā ca satataṃ putra rakṣitavyaḥ prayatnataḥ | sarvebhyaḥ śvāpadebhyaśca mlecchebhyastaskarāditaḥ

Translation

ହେ ପୁତ୍ର, ସଦା ପ୍ରୟାସରେ ନିଜକୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବା ଉଚିତ—ସମସ୍ତ ହିଂସ୍ର ପଶୁମାନଙ୍କୁ ଠାରୁ, ଏବଂ ମ୍ଲେଚ୍ଛ, ଚୋର ଆଦିଠାରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• ātmā: self
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always/continually)

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• rakṣitavyaḥ: must be protected
• rakṣitavyaḥ: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √rakṣ (रक्ष् धातु) + tavya (तव्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be protected'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of ātmā)

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'with effort/from effort')

• sarvebhyaḥ: from all
• sarvebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Ablative plural); विशेषण (of following nouns)

• śvāpadebhyaḥ: from wild beasts
• śvāpadebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvā-pada (श्वापद)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (श्वानः पादाः/श्ववत् पादाः; conventional: 'beasts of prey'); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• mlecchebyaḥ: from barbarians/foreigners
• mlecchebyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mleccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Ablative plural)

• taskara-āditaḥ: from thieves and the like
• taskara-āditaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि) + tasil (तसिल्)
• Form: समास (तस्करादि-) + तसिल्-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from thieves and the rest'

Speaker

Mother (unnamed, within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience; within story, an elder addressing 'putra'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parent/elder instructs a son before a forest journey: gestures toward lurking beasts and distant figures of thieves; the pilgrim holds a staff and water-pot.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes prudent self-protection; vigilance is a duty when traveling or living in risky places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse supports the travel-and-forest narrative atmosphere typical of the Arbuda Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is practical counsel rather than a ritual injunction.