Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

त्वङ्मात्रसारनिःसारं कदलीसारसंनिभम् । ज्ञात्वैवं दोषवद्देहं यः प्राज्ञः शिथिलीभवेत्

Transliteration

tvaṅmātrasāraniḥsāraṃ kadalīsārasaṃnibham | jñātvaivaṃ doṣavaddehaṃ yaḥ prājñaḥ śithilībhavet

Translation

Erkennend, dass der Körper hohl ist, dessen „Wesen“ nur die Haut bildet, dem Mark des Bananenstamms gleich, wird der Weise, der diesen fehlerhaften Leib schaut, locker im Festhalten und in der Anhaftung.

Word by Word

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Visheshya (qualificand)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• मात्र: mere/only
• मात्र: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘केवल/मात्र’ (neuter, nom/acc sg; sense: only/merely)

• सार: essence
• सार: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem used in compound)

• निःसारम्: essenceless/without substance
• निःसारम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—(त्वक्+मात्र+सार)+निःसार (neuter, accusative sg; tatpuruṣa: ‘having only skin as essence, yet essenceless’)

• कदली: banana plant
• कदली: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• सार: pith/essence
• सार: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• संनिभम्: resembling
• संनिभम्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कदली-सार-सम्-निभ (neuter, accusative sg; tatpuruṣa: ‘similar to banana-pith’)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘ज्ञात्वा’ (having known)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb: thus/in this way)

• दोषवत्: faulty/with defects
• दोषवत्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोषवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘देहम्’)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun; masculine, nominative sg)

• प्राज्ञः: a wise person
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• शिथिलीभवेत्: may become detached/relaxed
• शिथिलीभवेत्: Kriya (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शिथिली-भू (धातु; नामधातु/भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (may become loosened/detached)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic or wise devotee sits in stillness, holding a banana stem split open to show its hollow pith, while the body is subtly depicted as fragile and transient; the mood is quiet renunciation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplating the body’s fragility and fault-filled nature helps the wise relax their clinging and cultivate dispassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a vairāgya-oriented reflection rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; the practice implied is reflective discernment (viveka) leading to detachment.