Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यत्नेन महता तावत्पुण्यैर्बहुविधैरपि । साधयत्यात्मनो लोको मानुष्य मतिदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

yatnena mahatā tāvatpuṇyairbahuvidhairapi | sādhayatyātmano loko mānuṣya matidurlabham

Translation

By great effort indeed—and even by many kinds of merits—beings attain for themselves the human state, so difficult to obtain.

Word by Word

• यत्नेन: by effort
• यत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (यत्नस्य)

• तावत्: so much / to that extent
• तावत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (so much/for that long)

• पुण्यैः: by merits (good deeds)
• पुण्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• बहुविधैः: of many kinds
• बहुविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पुण्यानाम्)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• साधयति: accomplishes/attains
• साधयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आत्मनः: for oneself / of oneself
• आत्मनः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• लोकः: a person / the world (here: a person)
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• मानुष्यम्: human state/birth
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मतिदुर्लभम्: hard to obtain (even in thought) / very rare
• मतिदुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (मानुष्यस्य)

Speaker

Himācala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Kumāra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sober, instructive statement: beings attain the rare human condition only through great effort and many merits—an admonition to not waste life.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is a rare attainment earned by effort and merit; it should be used for dharma and liberation-oriented living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a general dharmic teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; puṇya is referenced broadly as accumulated merit.