Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

प्रमत्तेंद्रियवृत्तैश्च कामरागप्रपीडनात् । रागोद्वृत्तस्य सततं कुतः सौख्यं हि यौवने

Transliteration

pramatteṃdriyavṛttaiśca kāmarāgaprapīḍanāt | rāgodvṛttasya satataṃ kutaḥ saukhyaṃ hi yauvane

Translation

In youth, with the senses behaving recklessly and with the torment caused by desire and passion—how could there be happiness for one continually driven into agitation by craving?

Word by Word

• pramatta-indriya-vṛttaiḥ: by the uncontrolled activities of the senses
• pramatta-indriya-vṛttaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramatta (कृदन्त; प्र + √mad (धातु), क्त) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (वृत्ति), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; प्रमत्तानाम् इन्द्रियाणां वृत्तिभिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• kāma-rāga-prapīḍanāt: from the torment of desire and passion
• kāma-rāga-prapīḍanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + prapīḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कामस्य रागस्य च प्रपीडनात् (समाहार-निर्देश; हेत्वर्थे)

• rāga-udvṛttasya: of one disturbed by passion
• rāga-udvṛttasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + udvṛtta (कृदन्त; उद् + √vṛt (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; रागेण उद्वृत्तः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः (genitive: “of one agitated by passion”)

• satataṃ: constantly
• satataṃ: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satatam (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “always/constantly”)

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: “whence/how”)

• saukhyam: happiness
• saukhyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: “indeed/for”)

• yauvane: in youth
• yauvane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man surrounded by alluring sense-objects (music, perfume, wine, flirtation) while his mind appears as a storm; in contrast, a calm ascetic/devotee silhouette or liṅga/Skanda emblem offers a still center.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained senses and passion make youth restless; happiness requires mastery over desire and cultivation of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is ethical and psychological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes inner discipline rather than external ritual.