Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

पालयामास एतच्च त्वं पालयितुमर्हसि । ईश्वराः स्वप्रमाणेन भवंतो यदि कुर्वते

Transliteration

pālayāmāsa etacca tvaṃ pālayitumarhasi | īśvarāḥ svapramāṇena bhavaṃto yadi kurvate

Translation

He before you safeguarded this as well; you too ought to preserve it. If exalted lords act according to their own authority and standards, order is maintained thereby.

Word by Word

• pālayāmāsa: maintained / protected
• pālayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pāl (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative stem (पालय-) ‘caused to be protected/maintained’ → ‘maintained’

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pālayitum: to protect
• pālayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pāl (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive (कर्तरि), ‘to protect/maintain’

• arhasi: ought / are worthy
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• īśvarāḥ: lords / rulers
• īśvarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sva-pramāṇena: by their own authority/standard
• sva-pramāṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य प्रमाणम्)

• bhavantaḥ: you (honorific, plural)
• bhavantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

• yadi: if
• yadi: Hetu/Upapatti (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तार्थक; conditional particle)

• kurvate: do / act
• kurvate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Dharma (personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A succession tableau: an elder ruler handing a seal/charter to a younger successor; behind them a sacred emblem (bull/Nandin or Śaiva insignia) indicating dharma’s continuity.

Characters & Entities

• Guha (contextual addressee)
• Īśvaras (lords)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuity of dharma is ensured when leaders uphold inherited sacred standards rather than acting whimsically.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the tīrtha narrative by stressing preservation of the site’s divinely set norms, though it does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to preserve/observe what has been established (pālana of rules), rather than a specific external rite.