Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अपि जन्मसहस्रेण तवानृण्यं महौजसः । कर्तुं नाहं समर्थोस्मि सहैभिर्दारबांधवैः

Transliteration

api janmasahasreṇa tavānṛṇyaṃ mahaujasaḥ | kartuṃ nāhaṃ samarthosmi sahaibhirdārabāṃdhavaiḥ

Translation

即便历经千次出生，噢大威力者，我也无能——纵与妻子与亲族同在——偿还我对你的恩债。

Word by Word

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/अपि=even/also)

• जन्मसहस्रेण: by (means of) a thousand births
• जन्मसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘जन्मानां सहस्रेण’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/अवधि-निर्देश

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अनृण्यम्: repayment; being debt-free
• अनृण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्-ऋण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘freedom from debt/repayment’

• महौजसः: of the great-energetic one
• महौजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयभाव: ‘महद् ओजः यस्य’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (तव विशेषण)

• कर्तुम्: to do; to accomplish
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) ‘to do/make’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समर्थः: capable
• समर्थः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अहम् विशेषण)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सहकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सहकारार्थ-उपपद), ‘with’; सह + तृतीया

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दारबान्धवैः: with wife and relatives
• दारबान्धवैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक) + बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर: ‘दाराः च बान्धवाः च’), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the king/father speaking in gratitude)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (frame) Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled elder/king speaks with folded hands, eyes moist, confessing that even across a thousand births he cannot repay the mighty protector; family stands behind in solemn agreement.

Characters & Entities

• mahaujasaḥ
• dāra
• bāndhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acknowledging benefaction with humility is dharmic; gratitude (kṛtajñatā) is portrayed as a noble virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on ethical duty and gratitude.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on moral obligation rather than ritual.