Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

असन्मार्गे रतिर्मा भूद्भवतः कृपया मम । वैदिकाचारमार्गे च रतिः स्याद्भवते नमः

Transliteration

asanmārge ratirmā bhūdbhavataḥ kṛpayā mama | vaidikācāramārge ca ratiḥ syādbhavate namaḥ

Translation

Durch Dein Erbarmen möge ich keine Freude am falschen Weg finden. Freude sei mir auf dem Pfad vedischer Lebensführung; Verehrung Dir.

Word by Word

• असन्मार्गे: on the wrong path
• असन्मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय: असन् मार्गः)

• रतिः: attachment/delight
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle)

• भूत्: be
• भूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative; prohibitive with मा), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भवतः: of you
• भवतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृपया: by (your) grace
• कृपया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वैदिकाचारमार्गे: on the path of Vedic conduct
• वैदिकाचारमार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदिक + आचार + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वैदिकस्य आचारस्य मार्गः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• रतिः: attachment/delight
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भवते: to you
• भवते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Discourse (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), नमस्कारार्थक

Speaker

Lakṣmaṇa (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Rāmanātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at a crossroads: one path dark and thorny (asanmārga), the other bright with Vedic symbols (agni, veda, yajñopavīta), while Śiva’s compassionate gaze guides him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vaidika-ācāra (Vedic conduct)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself as dharmic living—turning away from harmful paths and embracing Vedic ethical discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra/Rāmeśvaram, where supplicants seek Śiva’s grace for righteous conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes a moral orientation: adherence to vaidikācāra as a lived practice.