Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

मित्रावसानिनः पापाः प्रायो नरकमंडनाः । परार्थनष्टास्तदमी पंच संप्रति साधवः

Transliteration

mitrāvasāninaḥ pāpāḥ prāyo narakamaṃḍanāḥ | parārthanaṣṭāstadamī paṃca saṃprati sādhavaḥ

Translation

Sinners who bring friendships to ruin are, for the most part, adornments of hell. But these five, who have risked themselves for another’s good, are now truly righteous.

Word by Word

• मित्र-अवसानिनः: ending in friendship (i.e., having friendship as their end)
• मित्र-अवसानिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—मित्रे अवसानं येषां/मित्रे समाप्ताः

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रायः: generally / mostly
• प्रायः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रायशः-अर्थे क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: generally)

• नरक-मण्डनाः: adornments of hell (fit for hell)
• नरक-मण्डनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—नरकस्य मण्डनाः (नरकं भूषयन्ति इति)

• पर-अर्थ-नष्टाः: ruined for others’ sake / lost in others’ interests
• पर-अर्थ-नष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + नष्ट (कृदन्त, √नश्-नाशे, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—परार्थे नष्टाः/परार्थं नष्टाः

• तत्: therefore / that
• तत्: Sambandha (Deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वयार्थ

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत्

• सम्प्रति: now
• सम्प्रति: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: now/at present)

• साधवः: good people / saints
• साधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Indradyumna (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted tableaux: on one side, a figure cuts a friendship-garland, with flames and a dark gateway labeled ‘naraka’; on the other, five companions form a protective circle around a vulnerable traveler, offering their own shields.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka (hell)
• Sādhavaḥ (the righteous)
• Pañca (five companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betraying friends is treated as grave adharma, while self-sacrifice for others is praised as the hallmark of the sādhus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse frames moral geography—hell for betrayal, righteousness for selfless service.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the practical instruction is to preserve friendship and act for parārtha (others’ welfare).