Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

अमी च देवाः सर्वत्र श्रौते मार्गे प्रतिष्ठिताः । पाषण्डशास्त्रे सर्वत्र निषिद्धाः पापकर्मभिः

Transliteration

amī ca devāḥ sarvatra śraute mārge pratiṣṭhitāḥ | pāṣaṇḍaśāstre sarvatra niṣiddhāḥ pāpakarmabhiḥ

Translation

هؤلاء الآلهة راسخون في كل موضع على الطريق الفيديّ الشعائري (śrauta)، أمّا في تعاليم الزندقة (pāṣaṇḍa) فيُرفَضون في كل مكان بسبب الأفعال الآثمة.

Word by Word

• amī: these (those)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• śraute: in the śrauta (Vedic)
• śraute: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrauta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) / अथवा विशेषणरूपेण, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रुति-सम्बन्धि’ (Vedic/śrauta)

• mārge: path
• mārge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: are established
• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle, kta), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); अर्थे—स्थिताः/प्रतिष्ठिताः (established)

• pāṣaṇḍaśāstre: in the pāṣaṇḍa-text/heterodox treatise
• pāṣaṇḍaśāstre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣaṇḍa + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘पाषण्डानां शास्त्रम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• niṣiddhāḥ: are forbidden
• niṣiddhāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√sidh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past participle, kta), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pāpakarmabhiḥ: by sinful acts
• pāpakarmabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: ‘पापं कर्म’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a teacher points to a Vedic altar and assembled devas, while shadowy figures representing pāṣaṇḍa doctrines turn away; the contrast is moral and luminous vs. obscured.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śrauta (Vedic) path

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Vedic path sustains deva-reverence, while sinful, deviant systems reject it—so one should adhere to dharmic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named; the verse addresses religious authority and correct practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit endorsement of the śrauta/Vedic mode of worship in which the devas are honored.