Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

धिङ्मामस्तु च दुर्बुद्धिमविमृश्यार्थकारिणम् । कुर्वतामविमृश्यैव तत्किमस्ति न यद्भवेत्

Transliteration

dhiṅmāmastu ca durbuddhimavimṛśyārthakāriṇam | kurvatāmavimṛśyaiva tatkimasti na yadbhavet

Translation

Shame upon me—foolish as I am—who act without reflection. For those who do things without deliberation, what harm is there that may not arise?

Word by Word

• धिङ्: shame! fie!
• धिङ्: Sambandha (Interjection/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिङ् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक-निपात (interjection of censure)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (let it be)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• दुर्बुद्धिम्: evil-mindedness / foolishness
• दुर्बुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुर् + बुद्धि); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अविमृश्यार्थकारिणम्: one who acts without reflection
• अविमृश्यार्थकारिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + विमृश्य (कृदन्त; वि+मृश् धातु, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-भाव) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘अविमृश्य’ = अव्ययभावे ल्यप् (having not considered); ‘अर्थकारिन्’ = अर्थं करोति इति; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying माम्)

• कुर्वताम्: of those who do
• कुर्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle) ‘कुर्वत्’; षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; “of those who do”

• अविमृश्य: without considering
• अविमृश्य: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ (नञ्) + विमृश्य (कृदन्त; वि+मृश् धातु, ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्यय; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): “without considering”

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as correlative: “that/then”

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; interrogative

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• भवेत्: would happen/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (implied continuing address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary moment of self-condemnation: the speaker laments his foolishness for acting without deliberation, recognizing that any calamity can arise from rash deeds.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires viveka (discernment): acting without reflection invites avoidable suffering and moral error.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a nīti (ethical) instruction within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse emphasizes ethical restraint and thoughtful decision-making rather than a ritual act.