Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

वैराग्यं परमास्थाय औदार्यं च ततोऽधिकम् । तेनैव ममता त्यक्ता रावणेन महात्मना

Transliteration

vairāgyaṃ paramāsthāya audāryaṃ ca tato'dhikam | tenaiva mamatā tyaktā rāvaṇena mahātmanā

Translation

In höchster Leidenschaftslosigkeit gefestigt und in noch größerer Großmut, gab der großherzige Rāvaṇa das Besitzdenken, das „Mein“, auf.

Word by Word

• vairāgyam: dispassion
• vairāgyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'vairāgyam' इति विशेषण — neuter accusative singular adjective

• āsthāya: having adopted
• āsthāya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — having resorted to/after adopting

• audāryam: generosity, magnanimity
• audāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: audārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tataḥ: thereafter; than that
• tataḥ: Sambandha/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverb: 'thereafter/than that')

• adhikam: greater, more
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'audāryam' इति विशेषण — neuter accusative singular adjective

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental singular ('by him/thereby')

• eva: indeed, alone
• eva: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/restriction)

• mamatā: possessiveness, 'mine-ness'
• mamatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mamatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• tyaktā: abandoned
• tyaktā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj त्यज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — feminine nominative singular; PPP agreeing with 'mamatā'

• rāvaṇena: by Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled one
• mahātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular; karmadhāraya

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine assembly and audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa is shown not as a conqueror but as a serene ascetic-king: open-handed generosity, minimal possessions, calm face indicating vairāgya.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vairāgya
• Audārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment and generosity are praised as marks of higher dharma—freedom from ‘mine-ness’ purifies even great power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the ethical teaching is embedded within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse highlights inner disciplines (vairāgya, audārya, abandonment of mamatā).