Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

रक्ष मां करुणासिंधो नारायण जगत्पते । निर्लज्जं कृपणं क्रूरं पिशुनं दांभिकं कृशम्

Transliteration

rakṣa māṃ karuṇāsiṃdho nārāyaṇa jagatpate | nirlajjaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ krūraṃ piśunaṃ dāṃbhikaṃ kṛśam

Translation

ขอทรงคุ้มครองข้าพเจ้าเถิด โอ้มหาสมุทรแห่งพระกรุณา—โอ้พระนารายณ์ ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งโลกทั้งปวง. แม้ข้าพเจ้าจะไร้ยางอาย ตระหนี่ โหดร้าย ใส่ร้าย เจ้าเล่ห์หน้าซื่อใจคด และอ่อนแรง ก็ขอทรงคุ้มครองข้าพเจ้า.

Word by Word

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• करुणासिन्धो: O ocean of compassion
• करुणासिन्धो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा-सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक; करुणा + सिन्धु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करुणायाः सिन्धुः)

• नारायण: O Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• जगत्पते: O lord of the world
• जगत्पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-पति (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः पतिः)

• निर्लज्जम्: shameless
• निर्लज्जम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्लज्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• कृपणम्: wretched
• कृपणम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• क्रूरम्: cruel
• क्रूरम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• पिशुनम्: malicious/slandering
• पिशुनम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• दाम्भिकम्: hypocritical
• दाम्भिकम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाम्भिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• कृशम्: weak/lean
• कृशम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

Speaker

Mudgala (penitent supplicant)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frail devotee/sage kneels by the seashore or sacrificial ground, head bowed, hands folded, with dark thought-forms (shame, cruelty, hypocrisy) dissolving into a vast compassionate blue presence of Nārāyaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Jagatpati (Lord of the world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True surrender includes honest self-assessment and reliance on the Lord’s compassion rather than one’s own merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvaram region), where devotion and divine grace are celebrated in the Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is specified; the emphasis is on inner confession and calling upon Nārāyaṇa for protection.