Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दुष्टान्पालय साधूंश्च स्वर्गमेवमवाप्स्यसि । बलं च लभ्यते पुत्र देवीनां सुप्रसादतः

Transliteration

duṣṭānpālaya sādhūṃśca svargamevamavāpsyasi | balaṃ ca labhyate putra devīnāṃ suprasādataḥ

Translation

Zügle und beherrsche die Frevler und beschütze die Tugendhaften—so wirst du den Himmel erlangen. Und auch Stärke, mein Sohn, wird durch die gütige Gnade der Göttinnen gewonnen.

Word by Word

• दुष्टान्: the wicked (people)
• दुष्टान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• पालय: protect/guard
• पालय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pāl (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साधून्: the virtuous (people)
• साधून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction); समुच्चयार्थक

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (प्राप्तव्य)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); प्रकारवाचकं ‘thus/in this way’

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• अवाप्स्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानी (labhyate इत्यस्य)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction); समुच्चयार्थक

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; सम्बोधन

• देवीनाम्: of the goddesses
• देवीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• सुप्रसादतः: from (their) gracious favor
• सुप्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su-prasāda (प्रातिपदिक; सु + प्रसाद)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘from/through (their) great favor’

Speaker

Unspecified adviser (contextual instruction to Barbarīka; narrative within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twofold tableau: a ruler restrains a wrongdoer with measured authority while sheltering sages/virtuous people; above or behind, Devī’s benign presence indicates the source of strength.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddesses)
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous power is justified when used to restrain wrongdoing and protect the good, and true strength is rooted in divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named yet; the text soon points to a particular sacred kṣetra for Devī worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, seeking Devī’s favor (ārādhana) as the means to obtain strength.