Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वयं दौर्भाग्यदोषेण सर्वाः क्लेशं परं गताः । न शक्नुमः प्रियान्प्राणान्देहे धर्तुं कथंचन

Transliteration

vayaṃ daurbhāgyadoṣeṇa sarvāḥ kleśaṃ paraṃ gatāḥ | na śaknumaḥ priyānprāṇāndehe dhartuṃ kathaṃcana

Translation

بدبختی کے عیب کے سبب ہم سب سخت ترین دکھ میں جا پڑی ہیں؛ ہم کسی طرح بھی اپنے پیارے سانسوں کو بدن میں قائم نہیں رکھ سکتیں۔

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• दौर्भाग्यदोषेण: due to the fault of misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यदोषेण: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daurbhāgya (प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दौर्भाग्यस्य दोषः = fault of misfortune)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'वयम्' as feminine group)

• क्लेशम्: affliction, suffering
• क्लेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kleśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परम्: great, extreme
• परम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'क्लेशम्')

• गताः: have gone to / have reached
• गताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam गम् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) with copular sense

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• शक्नुमः: we are able
• शक्नुमः: Kriya (Ability/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (शक् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रियान्: dear, beloved
• प्रियान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'प्राणान्')

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• धर्तुम्: to hold, to sustain
• धर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of holding)

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'in any way/at all')

Speaker

Dakṣa’s daughters (the 27 wives of Soma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The women confess unbearable misery caused by misfortune; their bodies appear weakened, as if life-breath itself cannot be sustained, while they cling to Devī as the only refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣakanyāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging one’s helplessness becomes the doorway to śaraṇāgati (taking refuge), a key Purāṇic devotional ethic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within a tīrtha narrative framework but does not specify the geographic tīrtha name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a lament and petition.