Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवं शीलस्य मे कस्मात्प्रतुष्यति महेश्वरः । मद्यपस्येव पापस्य वासुदेवो जगद्गुरः

Transliteration

evaṃ śīlasya me kasmātpratuṣyati maheśvaraḥ | madyapasyeva pāpasya vāsudevo jagadguraḥ

Translation

আমার স্বভাব এমন হলে মহেশ্বর কীভাবে আমার প্রতি প্রসন্ন হবেন? যেমন পাপী মদ্যপের প্রতি জগদ্গুরু বাসুদেব কীভাবে প্রসন্ন হবেন?

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• शीलस्य: of (my) conduct/character
• शीलस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (enclitic); अत्र षष्ठी (my)

• कस्मात्: why? from what reason?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Reason asked/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-निपातवत्; मूलतः पुँलिङ्ग/नपुंसक पञ्चमी-एकवचन ‘कस्मात्’ = ‘कुतः/कस्मात् कारणात्’

• प्रतुष्यति: is pleased
• प्रतुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—प्र; धातु—तुष् (तुषँ प्रीतौ)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—महा + ईश्वर (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• मद्यपस्य: of a drunkard
• मद्यपस्य: Upamana-sambandha (Genitive in simile/उपमान-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—मद्यं पिबति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय

• पापस्य: of sin / of the sinful (act)
• पापस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वसुदेवस्य अपत्यं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• जगद्गुरुः: the teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—जगतः गुरुः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Madana (Kāmadeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A personified Kāma (or speaker) stands with bowed head before Maheśvara’s presence; a parallel vignette shows Vāsudeva turning away from a drunken sinner, illustrating the analogy.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva
• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine approval aligns with purity and self-mastery; one should recognize one’s faults and seek transformation rather than presumption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse uses a moral analogy involving Śiva and Vāsudeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes ethical fitness (śīla) over external observance.