Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

इति विज्ञाय संसारसारं च चलाचलम् । कस्यार्थे क्रियते राजन्कुटजादि परिग्रहः

Transliteration

iti vijñāya saṃsārasāraṃ ca calācalam | kasyārthe kriyate rājankuṭajādi parigrahaḥ

Translation

Thus, having understood that the very essence of worldly life is unstable and ever-shifting, O king—then for whose sake is the hoarding of possessions undertaken, beginning even with small things like the kuṭaja?

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative/closure particle)

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having known’

• संसार-सारम्: the essence of worldly existence
• संसार-सारम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सारम्)

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

• चला-अचलम्: unstable and stable (mixed)
• चला-अचलम्: Karma (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक) + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास; विशेषण (संसारसारम्)

• कस्य: of whom/for what
• कस्य: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• अर्थे: for the sake (of)
• अर्थे: Prayojana (purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘for the sake/purpose’ (locative of purpose)

• क्रियते: is done, is undertaken
• क्रियते: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• कुटज-आदि: beginning with kuṭaja etc.
• कुटज-आदि: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुटज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुटजः आदिः यस्य/कुटजादि = ‘beginning with kuṭaja’)

• परिग्रहः: acquisition, possession
• परिग्रहः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaśa (addressing King Indradyumna)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage asks the king a piercing question; a householder is shown piling small objects (herbs/wood like kuṭaja), which dissolve into dust; beside it, the same person gives them away and becomes serene.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Lomaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing the instability of saṃsāra, one should reduce attachment and question needless accumulation, turning instead toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is mentioned; the verse is ethical instruction rather than tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse promotes restraint from parigraha (hoarding).