Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

स्वयमेव यदा रूपं सुगौरं प्रतिपत्स्यते । विरहेण हरश्चास्या मत्वा शून्यं जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

svayameva yadā rūpaṃ sugauraṃ pratipatsyate | viraheṇa haraścāsyā matvā śūnyaṃ jagattrayam

Translation

Wenn sie von selbst wieder eine überaus helle, schöne Gestalt erlangt, dann wird auch Hara—durch die Trennung von ihr—die drei Welten als leer erachten.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: by herself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्तृप्राधान्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: “by oneself”)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: “indeed/only”)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• सु-गौरम्: very fair, beautiful and fair
• सु-गौरम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (सुन्दरं गौरं)

• प्रतिपत्स्यते: will attain/assume
• प्रतिपत्स्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पद् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्रति
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; अर्थः—“प्राप्स्यते/अधिगमिष्यति”

• विरहेण: by/through separation
• विरहेण: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भावः

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अस्मद्-प्रत्ययान्त? here ‘अस्या’ from ‘इदम्’ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): “having thought/considered”

• शून्यम्: empty
• शून्यम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘जगत्त्रयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जगत्-त्रयम्: the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि जगन्ति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī regains a radiant fair (sugaurī) form; Śiva, bereft of her, experiences the three worlds as void—an intimate cosmic viraha tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī implied)
• Three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva–Śakti are presented as inseparable for cosmic fullness; separation signifies incompleteness even for the Lord’s līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is theological and emotional (viraha), not a site-glorification passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.