Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

त्वया मे संततिर्नष्टा नष्टो वेदपथश्च मे । एकात्मजस्य मे राजन्का गतिर्वद शाश्वती

Transliteration

tvayā me saṃtatirnaṣṭā naṣṭo vedapathaśca me | ekātmajasya me rājankā gatirvada śāśvatī

Translation

因你之故，我的后嗣已断，我在吠陀之道上的行持亦尽毁。大王啊，我唯有一子——请告我，我还剩下什么永恒的归依？

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संततिः: progeny, lineage
• संततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नष्टा: destroyed, lost
• नष्टा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नष्टः: destroyed, lost
• नष्टः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग (M), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वेदपथः: path of the Veda (Vedic way)
• वेदपथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative), पुल्लिङ्ग (M), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकात्मजस्य: of (my) only son
• एकात्मजस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive: ‘only son’), पुल्लिङ्ग (M), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (M), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• का: what? which?
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गतिः: course, refuge, destiny
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शाश्वती: eternal
• शाश्वती: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sārasvata (a sage/Brāhmaṇa), addressing the King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grief-stricken sage (Sārasvata) confronts a king, lamenting the loss of lineage and Vedic path; the court is tense, with attendants subdued, the sage’s face wet with tears, the king uneasy.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• King (rājā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the grave dharmic weight of harming lineage and disrupting Vedic duty, and the consequent search for an enduring spiritual refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; the focus is on personal dharma, lineage, and the need for divine refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse sets up the need for remedial devotion and guidance.