Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अनाथमबलं दीनं फेनपं मम पुत्रकम् । मातृशोकाभिसंतप्तं सर्वास्तं पालयिष्यथ

Transliteration

anāthamabalaṃ dīnaṃ phenapaṃ mama putrakam | mātṛśokābhisaṃtaptaṃ sarvāstaṃ pālayiṣyatha

Translation

“ਮੇਰਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਫੇਨਪ ਹੈ ਅਨਾਥ, ਕਮਜ਼ੋਰ ਤੇ ਦਇਆਯੋਗ; ਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੋਕ ਨਾਲ ਸੜਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ। ਹੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਸਭ, ਇਸ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਨੀ।”

Word by Word

• anātham: helpless / without protector
• anātham: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• abalam: weak
• abalam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• dīnam: wretched / poor
• dīnam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• phenapam: Phenapa (proper name)
• phenapam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phenapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• putrakam: little son / child
• putrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mātṛ-śoka-abhisaṃtaptam: tormented by the mother's grief
• mātṛ-śoka-abhisaṃtaptam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātṛ + śoka + abhisaṃtapta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• sarvāḥ: all of you (women)
• sarvāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (Nom/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• pālayiṣyatha: you will protect
• pālayiṣyatha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pāl (पाल् धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; causative stem pālay-

Speaker

Kapilā (the cow/mother figure, inferred from subsequent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The mother points toward her small child ‘Phenapa’, describing him as weak and pitiable; the surrounding women listen with concern, preparing to assume guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Phenapa
• Kapilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with compassion—protecting the helpless, especially dependents left without shelter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Arbuda (Mount Abu) within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; this verse itself focuses on ethical duty rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it is a moral injunction to protect a vulnerable child.