Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

देवाचार्येण संत्यक्तो भ्रात्रा मे कारणां तरे । गुरुपुत्रं च मां ज्ञात्वा यज्ञार्त्विज्यस्य कारणात्

Transliteration

devācāryeṇa saṃtyakto bhrātrā me kāraṇāṃ tare | guruputraṃ ca māṃ jñātvā yajñārtvijyasya kāraṇāt

Translation

لقد تخلّى عني مُعلِّمُ الآلهة، وتخلّى عني أخي أيضًا، بسبب أمرِ أمي. ثم إنه، مع علمه أنني ابنُ مُعلِّمه، فعل ذلك طمعًا في أن يتولى وظيفة الكاهن المُقيم لشعائر اليَجْنَا.

Word by Word

• देवाचार्येण: by the teacher of the gods
• देवाचार्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवाचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — देवस्य आचार्यः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• संत्यक्तः: abandoned
• संत्यक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘त्यक्तः’ = ‘abandoned’

• भ्रात्रा: by (my) brother
• भ्रात्रा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन — ‘मम/मे’

• कारणाम्: Kāraṇā (a woman named Kāraṇā)
• कारणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (आकारान्त)

• तरे: I cross over
• तरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘तरे’ = I cross/overcome

• गुरुपुत्रम्: the teacher’s son
• गुरुपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — गुरोः पुत्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having known/recognised’

• यज्ञार्त्विज्यस्य: of the priestly office in a sacrifice
• यज्ञार्त्विज्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋत्विज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — यज्ञस्य ऋत्विज्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कारणात्: because of
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन — ‘because of/from the cause’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator in dialogue (first-person; likely a ritual specialist/ṛṣi in Marutta episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wronged figure recounts abandonment by Bṛhaspati and by a brother, with a sacrificial arena in the background suggesting political ritual motives.

Characters & Entities

• Devācārya (Bṛhaspati, by title)
• brother (unnamed)
• yajña
• ṛtvij (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Social rejection and acceptance can hinge on lineage and ritual utility; the Purāṇas depict how dharma and ambition intersect in yajña contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is focused on ritual appointment and interpersonal history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references yajñārtvijya—the role of serving as an officiating priest in a sacrifice.