Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

प्रथमं चौषधीद्रोग्धा आत्मद्रोग्धा ततः पुनः । पितृद्रोग्धा विश्वद्रोग्धा यात्यंधं शाश्वतीः समाः

Transliteration

prathamaṃ cauṣadhīdrogdhā ātmadrogdhā tataḥ punaḥ | pitṛdrogdhā viśvadrogdhā yātyaṃdhaṃ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

Translation

أولًا يأتي خائنُ الأعشاب الشافية؛ ثم خائنُ نفسه؛ ثم خائنُ الأسلاف؛ وأخيرًا خائنُ العالم بأسره. فمثل هذا يذهب إلى ظلمةٍ عمياء لسنين أبدية لا انقطاع لها.

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: firstly
• प्रथमम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: firstly)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• औषधीद्रोग्धा: one who betrays herbs/medicines
• औषधीद्रोग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधी-द्रोग्धृ (प्रातिपदिक; औषधी + द्रोग्धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (औषधीनां द्रोग्धा = औषधी-द्रोही)

• आत्मद्रोग्धा: one who betrays oneself
• आत्मद्रोग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्-द्रोग्धृ (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + द्रोग्धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः द्रोग्धा)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुबोधक-अव्यय (then/from that)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिबोधक-अव्यय (again/further)

• पितृद्रोग्धा: one who betrays the fathers/ancestors
• पितृद्रोग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-द्रोग्धृ (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + द्रोग्धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां द्रोग्धा)

• विश्वद्रोग्धा: one who betrays the world
• विश्वद्रोग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-द्रोग्धृ (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + द्रोग्धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य द्रोग्धा)

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्धम्: darkness/blind state
• अन्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (destination as object)

• शाश्वतीः: eternal/perpetual
• शाश्वतीः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (समाः)

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘years’ (समाः = वर्षाणि)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-step moral descent shown as a sequence: (1) cutting medicinal herbs, (2) a figure harming himself, (3) neglecting ancestral rites with pitṛs fading, (4) a world-scene in distress; finally, the sinner falls into a cavern of darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Viśva (the world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betrayal—of healing, self, ancestors, or society—destroys dharma and leads to severe karmic darkness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharmic warning within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes ethical restraint (droha-tyāga) rather than a specific rite.