Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

परस्त्रीं च परान्नं च गच्छन्संदंशमेति च । दिवास्वप्नपरा ये व्रतलोपपराश्च ये

Transliteration

parastrīṃ ca parānnaṃ ca gacchansaṃdaṃśameti ca | divāsvapnaparā ye vratalopaparāśca ye

Translation

One who pursues another’s wife and another’s food goes to Saṃdaṃśa. Those addicted to sleeping by day, and those devoted to breaking sacred vows (vrata), likewise incur such downfall.

Word by Word

• परस्त्रीम्: another’s wife
• परस्त्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परा + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परा स्त्री)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• परान्नम्: another’s food
• परान्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परम् अन्नम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• गच्छन्: going/approaching
• गच्छन्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (converbial: ‘going/approaching’)

• संदंशम्: Saṃdaṃśa (a hell/torment)
• संदंशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• दिवास्वप्नपराः: devoted to sleeping by day
• दिवास्वप्नपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिवा + स्वप्न + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दिवास्वप्ने पराः = दिवा स्वप्ने आसक्ताः)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• व्रतलोपपराः: intent on breaking vows
• व्रतलोपपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत + लोप + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (व्रतलोपे पराः = व्रतानां लोपे आसक्ताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃdaṃśa (narka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man reaches toward another’s wife and another’s meal; nearby, figures sleep in daylight while a neglected vow-fire/altar lies cold; in the distance, Saṃdaṃśa appears as a symbolic crushing/biting mechanism (without gore).

Characters & Entities

• Saṃdaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control—sexual restraint, non-appropriation of others’ goods, and steadfastness in vows—is central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a moral warning framed through naraka doctrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implicitly upholds vrata-observance (not violating vows), but gives no specific ritual procedure.