Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

दुर्भिक्षमारीसंतापाः शमं यांतु महीतले । सर्वसस्यसमृद्धिश्च भूयात्सुखमया दिशः

Transliteration

durbhikṣamārīsaṃtāpāḥ śamaṃ yāṃtu mahītale | sarvasasyasamṛddhiśca bhūyātsukhamayā diśaḥ

Translation

భూమిపై దుర్భిక్షం, మహమ్మారి, బాధలు శమించుగాక; అన్ని పంటల సమృద్ధి కలుగుగాక; దిశలన్నీ సుఖమయములై ఉండుగాక।

Word by Word

• दुर्भिक्षमारीसंतापाः: famine, pestilence, and afflictions
• दुर्भिक्षमारीसंतापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मारी (प्रातिपदिक) + संताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (durbhikṣa-mārī-saṃtāpāḥ) (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; copulative dvandva)

• शमम्: peace/cessation
• शमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• यान्तु: may (they) go/come to
• यान्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Imperative, 3rd person, Plural; parasmaipada)

• महीतले: on the surface of the earth
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahyaḥ talaṃ) (Neuter, Locative, Singular; genitive tatpuruṣa)

• सर्वसस्यसमृद्धिः: abundance of all crops
• सर्वसस्यसमृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sarvasya sasyasya samṛddhiḥ) (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; genitive tatpuruṣa)

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

• भूयात्: may there be
• भूयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आशीर्लिङ्/संभावना), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Optative, 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada)

• सुखमयाः: filled with happiness
• सुखमयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative, Plural; adjective)

• दिशः: directions/quarters
• दिशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched land transforming into fertile fields through Śiva’s grace: clouds gather, rain falls gently, green crops rise; healers tend the sick; the devotee prays at a liṅga with bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Bhūmi (earth, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expands beyond personal gain into lokakalyāṇa—praying for the earth’s peace, health, and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the emphasis is on universal auspiciousness associated with Śiva devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse is a welfare-prayer; the ritual frame is Pradoṣa-time Śiva worship in the surrounding passage.