Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

एवं यत्नात्साध्यमानं स्वकं गार्हस्थ्यमुत्तमम् । गुणाय महते भूयादगुणायाप्यसाधितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ yatnātsādhyamānaṃ svakaṃ gārhasthyamuttamam | guṇāya mahate bhūyādaguṇāyāpyasādhitam

Translation

وهكذا فإن حياةَ البيت الرفيعةَ التي تخصّ المرء، إذا نُمّيت بالاجتهاد والعناية صارت منبعًا عظيمًا للفضيلة؛ أمّا إن تُركت بلا تهذيب صارت كذلك منبعًا للرذيلة.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारे)

• yatnāt: from (due to) effort
• yatnāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (from/through effort)

• sādhyamānam: being pursued/accomplished
• sādhyamānam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādh (साध् धातु) + śānac (शानच्)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘being accomplished’

• svakam: one’s own
• svakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक; स्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्वकम्’ = one’s own

• gārhasthyam: householder life
• gārhasthyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gārhasthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• guṇāya: for virtue
• guṇāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• mahate: for great (good)
• mahate: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; ‘महते’ = for great (benefit)

• bhūyāt: may become; may lead to
• bhūyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• aguṇāya: for vice
• aguṇāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि)

• asādhitam: if not accomplished (it leads to harm)
• asādhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + sādh (साध् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘असाधितम्’ = not accomplished

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A well-ordered household shrine with Śiva-liṅga or family deity, the couple performing evening lamp offering; contrasted subtly with a neglected corner showing disorder, emphasizing ‘sādhita’ vs ‘asādhita’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gṛhastha life is not automatically pure or impure; it becomes elevating through conscious discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography appears in this verse; it is a general dharma instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it prescribes sustained effort (yatna) in dharmic living.