Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तथापि वैष्णवी माया मोहयत्यविवेकिनम् । हृदयस्थं न जानंति ह्यपि मृत्यु शतायुषः

Transliteration

tathāpi vaiṣṇavī māyā mohayatyavivekinam | hṛdayasthaṃ na jānaṃti hyapi mṛtyu śatāyuṣaḥ

Translation

তথাপিও বৈষ্ণৱী মায়াই অবিবেকীক মোহিত কৰে। শতায়ু লোকেও মৃত্যুক নিজৰ হৃদয়ত বাস কৰা বুলি নাজানে।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, even so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇavī, pertaining to Viṣṇu
• वैष्णवी: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• माया: illusion, māyā
• माया: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• मोहयति: deludes
• मोहयति: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• अविवेकिनम्: the undiscerning person
• अविवेकिनम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविवेकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘one without discernment’

• हृदयस्थम्: situated in the heart
• हृदयस्थम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हृदये स्थितम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (emphasis/causal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शतायुषः: of one who lives a hundred years
• शतायुषः: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शतं आयुः यस्य) — व्यवहारतः बहुव्रीह्यर्थे ‘of the hundred-lived’; here genitive dependent on ‘मृत्युः’

Speaker

Lomaśa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human figure with a luminous heart where a small skeletal ‘mṛtyu’ silhouette sits; Māyā appears as a veiling goddess drawing a curtain over the eyes; a sage points to the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavī Māyā
• Viṣṇu (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without discernment (viveka), Māyā makes one forget mortality; remembering death strengthens dharma and awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides a doctrinal reflection within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies cultivating viveka through satsanga, scriptural reflection, and disciplined practice.