Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

शिवाश्रमतरूणां च पुष्पारामविनाशनम् । अयाज्यानां याजनं चाप्ययाच्यानां च याचनम्

Transliteration

śivāśramatarūṇāṃ ca puṣpārāmavināśanam | ayājyānāṃ yājanaṃ cāpyayācyānāṃ ca yācanam

Translation

Destroying the trees of Śiva’s hermitages and ruining flower-gardens; performing sacrifices for those unfit to be officiated for, and begging from those from whom one should not beg—these are censured as blameworthy deeds.

Word by Word

• शिव: Śiva
• शिव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे; 'of Śiva'

• आश्रम: hermitage
• आश्रम: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'hermitage/monastery'

• तरूणाम्: of trees
• तरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुष्प: flowers
• पुष्प: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'flowers'

• आराम: garden
• आराम: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'garden/park'

• विनाशनम्: destruction
• विनाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक; √नश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; act of destruction)

• अयाज्यानाम्: of those who should not be sacrificed for / are not fit recipients of sacrifice
• अयाज्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयाज्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• याजनम्: officiating sacrifice for (improper persons)
• याजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याजन (प्रातिपदिक; √यज् (धातु) + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; causing to sacrifice/performing sacrifice for others)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• अयाच्यानाम्: of those from whom one should not beg / improper to ask
• अयाच्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयाच्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• याचनम्: begging, asking
• याचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याचन (प्रातिपदिक; √याच् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; act of begging)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivāśrama (generic)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-āśrama with flowering trees and a puṣpārāma; a careless man felling trees is contrasted with devotees tending the garden for liṅga-pūjā; a priest refuses an unfit patron’s request, upholding ritual integrity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred spaces and sacred acts must be protected: harming Śaiva sanctuaries and corrupting ritual propriety undermines dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse broadly defends Śiva-āśramas and sacred gardens as holy environments.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It addresses ritual eligibility: do not officiate for the ayājya, and do not solicit from the ayācya.