Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्राणसंशयमापन्नान्प्राणिनो भयविह्वलान् । यो न रक्षति शक्तोपि स तत्पापं समश्नुते

Transliteration

prāṇasaṃśayamāpannānprāṇino bhayavihvalān | yo na rakṣati śaktopi sa tatpāpaṃ samaśnute

Translation

สรรพสัตว์ผู้ตกอยู่ในภาวะเสี่ยงต่อชีวิตและสั่นสะท้านด้วยความกลัว—ผู้ใดแม้มีกำลังแต่ไม่คุ้มครอง เขาย่อมรับบาปนั้นไว้

Word by Word

• prāṇa-saṃśayam: danger to life; doubt about life
• prāṇa-saṃśayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्राणानां संशयः)

• āpannān: fallen into; having reached
• āpannān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+pad (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया बहुवचन

• prāṇinaḥ: living beings
• prāṇinaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; रूपम्: प्राणिनः (acc.pl. = nom.pl. समानरूप)

• bhaya-vihvalān: distressed by fear
• bhaya-vihvalān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + vihvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भयेन विह्वलाः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• na: does not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• rakṣati: protects
• rakṣati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śaktaḥ: able
• śaktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (कृदन्त; √śak)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि = 'even/also'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• tat-pāpam: that sin
• tat-pāpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तत् एव पापम्)

• samaśnute: incurs; partakes of
• samaśnute: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+aś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unnamed ṛṣi (contextual speaker within the narrative; later Śiva speaks at v.24)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scene of imminent danger—beings trembling with fear near water/shore—while a capable protector hesitates; the verse condemns omission and praises active rescue.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglecting to save others when one has the power is a moral fault; protection of life is a core dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the overarching sacred setting in which such protective dharma is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a clear ethical injunction—render protection and aid when able.