Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

ततश्चांतर्दधे सद्यः प्रहसन्निव केशवः । कुयोगिन इव स्वामी सदा बुद्धिमतां वरः

Transliteration

tataścāṃtardadhe sadyaḥ prahasanniva keśavaḥ | kuyogina iva svāmī sadā buddhimatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

তখন কেশব তৎক্ষণাৎ যেন মৃদু হাসি হেসে অন্তর্ধান করলেন—যেমন সর্বদা জ্ঞানীদের শ্রেষ্ঠ স্বামী কুযোগীর দৃষ্টির আড়ালে নিজেকে লুকিয়ে রাখেন।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared
• अन्तर्दधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘disappeared/withdrew’

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: immediately)

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Present participle ‘laughing’

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कुयोगिनः: of a bad yogin
• कुयोगिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुष्ट/कुयोगी); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of a bad yogin)

• इव: like/as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• स्वामी: the lord/master
• स्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the wise
• बुद्धिमताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of the intelligent)

• वरः: the best/excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava smiles subtly and disappears—his form dissolving into luminous space—while a misguided yogin-like figure reaches outward in frustration; the contrast highlights serene mastery versus grasping effort.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Keśava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is grasped by right discipline and devotion; false or misdirected practice (kuyoga) cannot ‘hold’ Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; the focus is theological instruction through simile.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse implies the necessity of proper yoga/bhakti rather than giving a concrete rite.