Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

स्मरन्विलसितं मिथ्या सत्याभासमिदं जगत् । अविद्यामयमित्येवं ज्ञात्वा मूकत्वमास्थितः

Transliteration

smaranvilasitaṃ mithyā satyābhāsamidaṃ jagat | avidyāmayamityevaṃ jñātvā mūkatvamāsthitaḥ

Translation

Remembering my former experience, I understood this world to be a mere play—false, only an appearance of truth, woven of ignorance; knowing thus, I adopted silence.

Word by Word

• smaran: remembering
• smaran: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smaran (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; present active participle, agreeing with subject

• vilasitam: the play/manifestation
• vilasitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vilasita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; accusative singular (object of 'smaran')

• mithyā: falsely; as unreal
• mithyā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/वाक्योपपद) = indeclinable; 'असत्यम्/मृषा'

• satyābhāsam: having the appearance of truth
• satyābhāsam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + ābhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'सत्यस्य आभासः' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; adjective to 'jagat' (as object of understanding)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Determiner/कर्म-निर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• jagat: world
• jagat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular

• avidyā-mayam: made of ignorance
• avidyā-mayam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'अविद्यया मयम्' इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; predicate adjective to 'jagat'

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग) = quotative particle

• evam: in this way
• evam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; 'एवं प्रकारेण'

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु) → jñātvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'ज्ञात्वा' = having known/realized

• mūkatvam: silence/muteness
• mūkatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūkatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular (object of 'āsthitaḥ')

• āsthitaḥ: assumed, adopted
• āsthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु) → āsthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past participle: 'having assumed/entered'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jātismara youth sits motionless in contemplative silence, eyes half-closed, while the bustling world around appears like a theatrical play—figures blurred or mask-like—signifying satyābhāsa and avidyā.

Characters & Entities

• Jagat (world)
• Avidyā (ignorance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Insight into the world’s illusory, ignorance-born nature fosters detachment and the discipline of silence (mouna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse is a philosophical reflection arising within the Śaiva māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline rather than a rite: adopting silence (mouna) as a spiritual practice rooted in discernment.