Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

यदाप्रभृति भद्र त्वं पाषाणस्यार्चने रतः । तदाप्रभृति किंचिच्च न हि पश्यामि शोभनम्

Transliteration

yadāprabhṛti bhadra tvaṃ pāṣāṇasyārcane rataḥ | tadāprabhṛti kiṃcicca na hi paśyāmi śobhanam

Translation

يا أيها الرجل الصالح، منذ أن انصرفتَ متعبّدًا إلى عبادة حجرٍ مجرد، فمنذ ذلك الحين لا أرى لك شيئًا حسنًا ولا بُشرى مباركة تتجلّى.

Word by Word

• यदा-प्रभृति: since (the time when)
• यदा-प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable: 'since when')

• भद्र: O good one
• भद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun, Nominative, Singular)

• पाषाणस्य: of a stone
• पाषाणस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• अर्चने: in worship
• अर्चने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• रतः: engaged/attached
• रतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तदा-प्रभृति: since then
• तदा-प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable: 'since then')

• किञ्चित्: anything/something
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; 'something')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 1st person, Singular)

• शोभनम्: good/auspicious thing
• शोभनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced, Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned admonisher addresses a devotee who clings to a rough stone on a simple altar; the devotee’s face shows stubbornness while the speaker shows compassionate severity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be rightly placed; misguided worship leads to loss of auspicious outcomes and spiritual clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It critiques an improper form of worship (pāṣāṇa-arcana) rather than prescribing a specific rite.