Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । सत्यमुक्तं त्वया चात्र नान्यथा नारदक्वचित् । योषित्संगतिमात्रेण नृणां पतनमेव च

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | satyamuktaṃ tvayā cātra nānyathā nāradakvacit | yoṣitsaṃgatimātreṇa nṛṇāṃ patanameva ca

Translation

Śiva sprach: „Wahr ist, was du hier gesagt hast; niemals ist es anders, o Nārada. Schon durch bloßen Umgang, aus Begierde nach Frauen, geraten die Menschen wahrlich zu Fall.“

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Kriyā-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverb: 'truly')

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-भाग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः ('it is said')

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriyā-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'otherwise')

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: ever, at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriyā-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'ever/anywhere/at any time')

• योषित्: of a woman
• योषित्: Sambandha (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन (in compound)

• संगति: association
• संगति: Sambandha (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (in compound)

• मात्रेण: merely by
• मात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; 'मात्र' = only/merely

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• पतनम्: fall, downfall
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks directly to Nārada, affirming the truth of the warning: lustful association causes men’s downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding one’s senses and avoiding lust-driven association is presented as essential to prevent spiritual and moral downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Kedāra-khaṇḍa (Kedāranātha/Himālaya sacred region), though this verse itself is an ethical instruction within that setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on conduct (ācāra) and restraint.