Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

मा धेहि गर्वं कीनाश हास्यं यास्यसि पीडयन् । प्राणिनं सर्वशरणं तद्भावि शरणं तव

Transliteration

mā dhehi garvaṃ kīnāśa hāsyaṃ yāsyasi pīḍayan | prāṇinaṃ sarvaśaraṇaṃ tadbhāvi śaraṇaṃ tava

Translation

Gib dich nicht dem Hochmut hin, o Geizhals; indem du ein Lebewesen quälst, wirst du zum Gespött. Der, der allen Wesen Zuflucht ist—am Ende wird er deine Zuflucht sein.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय; लोट्/विधिलिङ्-निषेध (prohibitive particle)

• धेहि: place/put
• धेहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• गर्वम्: pride
• गर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कीनाश: O farmer (ploughman)
• कीनाश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• हास्यम्: ridicule/laughter
• हास्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यास्यसि: you will go
• यास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• पीडयन्: tormenting
• पीडयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीडयत् (कृदन्त; √पीड्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (concomitant action: 'while tormenting')

• प्राणिनम्: a living being
• प्राणिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सर्वशरणम्: refuge of all
• सर्वशरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां शरणम्) विशेषण (प्राणिनम्)

• तद्भावि: that which will be (future)
• तद्भावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत् भवति इति/तद्भावि) विशेषण (शरणम्)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proud miser humiliating a weak being is shown becoming an object of ridicule; in contrast, the compassionate path leads to the sheltering presence of the universal Refuge, hinted as a radiant deity beyond the scene.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and cruelty degrade a person; humility and compassion align one with the ultimate refuge of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse; the site-context is the Revā-tīra though the teaching is ethical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral discipline: avoid pride and do not harm living beings (ahiṃsā implied).