Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

सोऽपि दुःखदरिद्राद्यैर्वेष्टितो विकलेंद्रियः । प्रत्यक्षः सर्व लोकानां पापस्यैतद्धि लक्षणम्

Transliteration

so'pi duḥkhadaridrādyairveṣṭito vikaleṃdriyaḥ | pratyakṣaḥ sarva lokānāṃ pāpasyaitaddhi lakṣaṇam

Translation

Auch er wird von Leid, Armut und dergleichen umhüllt, mit geschwächten Sinnen. Dies ist wahrlich das sichtbare Kennzeichen der Sünde, für alle Menschen offenbar.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘also/even’

• दुःखदरिद्राद्यैः: by misery, poverty, etc.
• दुःखदरिद्राद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + दरिद्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (with आदि ‘etc.’): ‘by suffering, poverty, etc.’

• वेष्टितः: enveloped; surrounded
• वेष्टितः: Karta (Subject predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वेṣ्ट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विकलइन्द्रियः: with impaired senses
• विकलइन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकल + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘impaired-sensed’

• प्रत्यक्षः: manifest; evident
• प्रत्यक्षः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व: of all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Genitive modifier/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लोकानाम्: of people; of worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• लक्षणम्: a sign; characteristic
• लक्षणम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A once-uplifted being returns as human yet is wrapped in misery—ragged clothing, hunger, weakened senses—while society recognizes these as marks of past sin; the tone is compassionate, not mocking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leaves recognizable worldly effects—suffering and deprivation—urging one toward repentance and dharmic correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a general karmic diagnostic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it implies avoiding pāpa and seeking purification through dharma.