Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

भीतत्राणात्परं नान्यत्पुण्यमस्ति तपोधन । एवमुक्तवती भीता सालसांगी तपस्विनम्

Transliteration

bhītatrāṇātparaṃ nānyatpuṇyamasti tapodhana | evamuktavatī bhītā sālasāṃgī tapasvinam

Translation

“โอ้ผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยตบะ ไม่มีบุญใดสูงยิ่งกว่าการคุ้มครองผู้หวาดกลัว” นางผู้หวาดหวั่นกล่าวเช่นนั้น พลางเกาะใกล้ฤๅษี

Word by Word

• भीतत्राणात्: than protecting the frightened
• भीतत्राणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीत-त्राण (प्रातिपदिक; भीत + त्राण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भीतानां त्राणम्)

• परम्: higher / greater
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘न ... अन्यत्’ इत्यत्र तुलनार्थक-विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘किञ्चिदन्यत्’ अर्थे

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तपोधन: O one whose wealth is austerity
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक; तपस् + धन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तपः एव धनं यस्य)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• उक्तवती: having spoken
• उक्तवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उक्तवत् (कृदन्त; √वच्)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (she having said)

• भीता: frightened
• भीता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त; √भी)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सा)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अलसाङ्गी: with languid limbs
• अलसाङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलस-अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक; अलस + अङ्गिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (अलसाः अङ्गानि यस्याः/यस्य) विशेषणम् (सा)

• तपस्विनम्: the ascetic
• तपस्विनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vṛndā (addressing the tapasvin)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛndā, still fearful, speaks a crisp moral aphorism to the ascetic; she clings close, embodying dependence and trust; the ascetic listens, poised to act.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndā
• tapasvin (ascetic)
• puṇya
• bhītatrāṇa (protecting the afraid)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest puṇya is compassionate protection—saving those in fear is presented as supreme dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is voiced in the hermitage within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-region, framing the place as a sanctuary where dharma is enacted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse offers a dharma-principle (refuge-giving) rather than a specific rite.