Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

विषमारणयंत्राणां प्रोयगो मूलकर्मणाम् । उच्चाटनाभिचाराश्च रागविद्वेषणक्रिया

Transliteration

viṣamāraṇayaṃtrāṇāṃ proyago mūlakarmaṇām | uccāṭanābhicārāśca rāgavidveṣaṇakriyā

Translation

استعمال وسائل للتسميم والقتل، وممارسة سحرٍ قائمٍ على الجذور والأعشاب، وطقوس الإبعاد والسحر الأسود، وأفعالٌ تُؤجِّج الشهوة أو البغضاء—كل ذلك مُدان بوصفه من الأعمال المذمومة.

Word by Word

• viṣa: poison
• viṣa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• māraṇa: killing, causing death
• māraṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māraṇa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √mṛ (धातु) + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• yaṃtrāṇām: of poison-and-killing devices/contrivances
• yaṃtrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विषमारणयोः यन्त्राणि (तत्पुरुष; बहुपदसमास)

• prayogaḥ: application, practice
• prayogaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mūla: root, fundamental
• mūla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/विशेषण, (समासपूर्वपद)

• karmaṇām: of root-rites/primary acts
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; मूलकर्मणि (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव)

• uccāṭana: driving away, expulsion
• uccāṭana: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccāṭana (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √caṭ/caṭṭ (धातु) + ut + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• abhicārāḥ: (acts of) expulsion and sorcery
• abhicārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhicāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उच्चाटनाभिचाराः = उच्चाटनम् + अभिचाराः (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• rāga: attachment, passion
• rāga: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• vidveṣaṇa: causing hatred, enmity-making
• vidveṣaṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidveṣaṇa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dviṣ (धातु) + वि + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• kriyā: rite/action (to produce passion and hatred)
• kriyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; रागविद्वेषणयोः क्रिया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; बहुपदसमास)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective Śaiva/Kaumāra atmosphere: a sage extinguishes a dark ritual circle; broken poison-vials and discarded yantras lie aside; the pilgrim turns toward a lit shrine, symbolizing conversion from abhicāra to śānti.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rejects harm-driven occultism; spiritual power must not be used for violence, coercion, or manipulation of others’ minds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions as a prohibition list.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions forbidden/condemned rites—uccāṭana and abhicāra—rather than recommending approved rituals.