Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तथापि वैष्णवी माया मोहयत्यविवेकिनम् । हृदयस्थं न जानंति ह्यपि मृत्यु शतायुषः

Transliteration

tathāpi vaiṣṇavī māyā mohayatyavivekinam | hṛdayasthaṃ na jānaṃti hyapi mṛtyu śatāyuṣaḥ

Translation

Und dennoch betört die vaiṣṇavische Māyā den Unterscheidungslosen. Selbst wer hundert Jahre lebt, erkennt nicht, dass der Tod im eigenen Herzen wohnt.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, even so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇavī, pertaining to Viṣṇu
• वैष्णवी: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• माया: illusion, māyā
• माया: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• मोहयति: deludes
• मोहयति: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• अविवेकिनम्: the undiscerning person
• अविवेकिनम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविवेकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘one without discernment’

• हृदयस्थम्: situated in the heart
• हृदयस्थम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हृदये स्थितम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (emphasis/causal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शतायुषः: of one who lives a hundred years
• शतायुषः: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शतं आयुः यस्य) — व्यवहारतः बहुव्रीह्यर्थे ‘of the hundred-lived’; here genitive dependent on ‘मृत्युः’

Speaker

Lomaśa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human figure with a luminous heart where a small skeletal ‘mṛtyu’ silhouette sits; Māyā appears as a veiling goddess drawing a curtain over the eyes; a sage points to the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavī Māyā
• Viṣṇu (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without discernment (viveka), Māyā makes one forget mortality; remembering death strengthens dharma and awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides a doctrinal reflection within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies cultivating viveka through satsanga, scriptural reflection, and disciplined practice.