Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अनयोर्हि फलं ग्राह्यं सारता नात्र काचन । अर्धदेही च मनुजस्त्वसंस्पृश्यः सतांमतः

Transliteration

anayorhi phalaṃ grāhyaṃ sāratā nātra kācana | ardhadehī ca manujastvasaṃspṛśyaḥ satāṃmataḥ

Translation

من هذين لا يُؤخذ إلا «الثمر الظاهر»—فلا جوهرَ حقيقيًّا هنا. والرجل «نصفُ الجسد» يُعَدّ عند الأخيار ممّن لا ينبغي مسّه (أي يُتجنَّب في الطقوس وآداب المجتمع).

Word by Word

• अनयोः: of these two
• अनयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्विवचनस्य षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन (Dual); here षष्ठी 'of these two'

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• फलं: fruit/result
• फलं: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here subject of (अस्ति) implied

• ग्राह्यं: to be accepted
• ग्राह्यं: Vidhेय/Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाव्य/योग्यतावाचक (gerundive/णीयत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be accepted/taken'

• सारता: essence, substantiality
• सारता: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied अस्ति/नास्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• काचन: any (at all)
• काचन: Visheshana (विशेषण) of सारता
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• अर्धदेही: half-bodied person
• अर्धदेही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्धस्य देही = 'one having half (a body)')

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

• मनुजः: man, human
• मनुजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्धदेही इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• असंस्पृश्यः: untouchable (not fit to be touched)
• असंस्पृश्यः: Vidhेय/Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + संस्पृश्य (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु स्पृश्)
• Form: कृदन्त-योग्यतावाचक (gerundive/यत्) with negation; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'not to be touched/untouchable'

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• सताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• मतः: considered (as)
• मतः: Kriyā-samānārtha predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु मन् 'to think')
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'considered/held as'

Speaker

Same narrator (normative dharma voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual assembly at a tīrtha: elders indicate boundaries around a yajña/pujā space; one figure stands aside in hesitation, emphasizing the theme of eligibility versus mere fruit-seeking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not merely external ‘fruit’; it requires inner wholeness and rightful order, otherwise one becomes ritually/socially unsuitable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it stresses dharmic eligibility and purity norms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit purity rule: the ‘ardhadehī’ is deemed asaṃspṛśya (to be avoided) according to the virtuous.