Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23
मूलघातिषु सज्जंते बुद्धिमंतो भवद्विधाः । अष्टांगां बुद्धिमाहुर्यां सर्वाश्रेयोविघातिनीम
mūlaghātiṣu sajjaṃte buddhimaṃto bhavadvidhāḥ | aṣṭāṃgāṃ buddhimāhuryāṃ sarvāśreyovighātinīma
The intelligent—people like you—apply themselves to striking at the root of suffering. They speak of an eightfold discernment, by which every true good is protected from harm.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa (deductive attribution)
Scene: A teacher points to a tree of suffering: branches labeled ‘fear, grief, anger’; the wise disciple strikes the root labeled ‘avidyā’. Around them, eight symbolic emblems (lamp, scripture, rosary, scales, lotus, staff, mirror, trident) represent ‘aṣṭāṅgā buddhi’.
FAQs
A wise person seeks root-cause solutions (not temporary fixes), guided by disciplined, multi-faceted discernment (aṣṭāṅgā buddhi).
No particular sacred place is glorified in this verse.
No ritual is prescribed; it points to an inner discipline—systematic discernment that prevents the collapse of one’s welfare.