Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

क्रोधपंके मदग्राहे लोभबुद्बदसंकटे । मानगंभीरपाताले सत्त्वयानविभूषिते

Transliteration

krodhapaṃke madagrāhe lobhabudbadasaṃkaṭe | mānagaṃbhīrapātāle sattvayānavibhūṣite

Translation

In the mire of wrath, amid the crocodile of intoxication, in the perilous surge of greed’s bubbles, and in the deep netherworld of pride—fearsome is this ocean of saṃsāra, though it be adorned with the “vehicle” of sattva (apparent goodness).

Word by Word

• क्रोध-पङ्के: in the mire of anger
• क्रोध-पङ्के: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mud of anger); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• मद-ग्राहे: in the crocodile (grip) of pride/intoxication
• मद-ग्राहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (crocodile of intoxication/pride); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• लोभ-बुद्बुद-सङ्कटे: in the peril of greed-bubbles
• लोभ-बुद्बुद-सङ्कटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (danger from bubbles of greed); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• मान-गम्भीर-पाताले: in the deep abyss of arrogance
• मान-गम्भीर-पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक) + पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (deep underworld of arrogance); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• सत्त्व-यान-विभूषिते: in (a place) adorned with the vehicle of sattva (goodness)
• सत्त्व-यान-विभूषिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यान (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (adorned with the vehicle of sattva/virtue); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying the same locative setting)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic ocean of worldly life: sludge of anger at the shore, a crocodile labeled ‘mada’, frothy bubbles of ‘lobha’, a yawning abyss labeled ‘māna’; a gilded chariot/boat labeled ‘sattva’ appears beautiful yet precarious, warning against complacency.

Characters & Entities

• Krodha
• Lobha
• Mada
• Māna
• Sattva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly existence is depicted as dangerous due to inner vices—anger, greed, pride, and intoxication—even when it appears ‘sattvic’ on the surface.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific place is mentioned; the verse functions as a moral-psychological map of saṃsāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it implicitly urges restraint and purification from inner faults.