Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

स तथैव महीपालो विसृज्य शिवपूजनम् । असमाप्तात्मनियमश्चकार निशि भोजनम्

Transliteration

sa tathaiva mahīpālo visṛjya śivapūjanam | asamāptātmaniyamaścakāra niśi bhojanam

Translation

So tat auch jener Herrscher: Er ließ die Verehrung Śivas beiseite und, ohne seine persönliche religiöse Zucht zu vollenden, nahm er in der Nacht Speise zu sich.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक

• महीपालः: earth-protector, king
• महीपालः: Karta (Apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘महीम् पालयति’ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विसृज्य: having abandoned
• विसृज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• शिवपूजनम्: worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘शिवस्य पूजनम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• असमाप्तात्मनियमः: whose self-discipline was unfinished
• असमाप्तात्मनियमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-समाप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् + नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (नञ्-तत्पुरुष) ‘असमाप्तः’ + तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘आत्मनः नियमः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महीपालः/सः)

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• भोजनम्: eating, meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night falls; the king, having left worship incomplete, sits to eat in his chambers; the abandoned pūjā tray and extinguishing lamps are implied, conveying a sense of spiritual lapse.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breaking a vow/discipline mid-way (asamāpta-niyama) is depicted as a serious lapse that invites misfortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the teaching is about vrata integrity and self-restraint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly: complete Śiva-pūjā and maintain niyamas; the verse also flags night-eating as a breach in disciplined observance.