Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

केनचित्त्वथ कालेन दुर्भिक्षे समुपस्थिते । अन्नक्षयान्महाराज सर्व लोकः क्षुधार्दितः

Transliteration

kenacittvatha kālena durbhikṣe samupasthite | annakṣayānmahārāja sarva lokaḥ kṣudhārditaḥ

Translation

“随后在某一时日，饥荒骤起，大王啊；因粮食耗尽，众生皆为饥饿所逼迫。”

Word by Word

• केनचित्: by some (means/person)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; करण/हेतु-अर्थे (instrumental: by/with)

• तु: indeed/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), विरोध/अनुक्रमे (but/indeed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable), आरम्भ/अनुक्रमे (then/now)

• कालेन: with time / after some time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्; काल-निर्देशे (at/with time)

• दुर्भिक्षे: in a famine
• दुर्भिक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे (locative: in famine)

• समुपस्थिते: having occurred / having set in
• समुपस्थिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उप+स्था (धातु) → समुपस्थित (कृदन्त-भूतकृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; 'दुर्भिक्षे' इति विशेषणम्; (having arisen/occurred)

• अन्नक्षयात्: from the depletion of food
• अन्नक्षयात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न+क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्नस्य क्षयः); पुंलिङ्गः; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी) एकवचनम्; अपादाने (ablative: due to/from)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा+राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् राजा); पुंलिङ्गः; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचनम्

• सर्वः: entire/all
• सर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; 'लोकः' इति विशेषणम्

• लोकः: the people/world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; कर्तरि (subject)

• क्षुधार्दितः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधार्दितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुध् (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्दित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (क्षुधया आर्दितः = hunger-afflicted); भूतकृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्; 'लोकः' इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parched settlement: empty granaries, thin cattle, people with pleading faces; the sky harsh and dry; the narration tone signals impending journey.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Mahārāja (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets the moral stage for dharmic action during crisis—famine becomes the context where merit is often earned through compassion and giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it narrates a historical crisis within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes conditions that typically call for dāna (charity) and dharmic conduct.