Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य मूढतां हास्यमासीन्मनसि मे तदा । तथा यौवनमासाद्य निशि हित्वा निजं गृहम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣya mūḍhatāṃ hāsyamāsīnmanasi me tadā | tathā yauvanamāsādya niśi hitvā nijaṃ gṛham

Translation

Seeing their foolishness, amusement arose in my mind at that time. Then, upon reaching youth, I left my own home in the night.

Word by Word

• निरीक्ष्य: having observed/seen
• निरीक्ष्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done)

• मूढताम्: foolishness
• मूढताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• हास्यम्: laughter; something laughable
• हास्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मनसि: in (my) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मे: of me; my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having attained/reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Kala/Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• हित्वा: having abandoned/left
• हित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man, having inwardly smiled at the folly of worldly people, quietly leaves his home at night, carrying minimal belongings, eyes turned toward a distant Śiva-shrine silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Home (gṛha)
• Youth (yauvana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment can turn worldly anxieties into recognized delusion, prompting a seeker toward renunciation and spiritual pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a life-choice—departing home—often associated with vairāgya.