Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

पिता नाल्पतरं स्थानं चिंतयिष्यामि मातरम् । यो ह्ययं मयि संघातो मर्त्यत्वे पांचभौतिकः

Transliteration

pitā nālpataraṃ sthānaṃ ciṃtayiṣyāmi mātaram | yo hyayaṃ mayi saṃghāto martyatve pāṃcabhautikaḥ

Translation

I shall regard the mother as holding a station no less than the father. For this embodied aggregate within me, in mortal life, is composed of the five elements.

Word by Word

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अल्पतरम्: lesser
• अल्पतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पतर (प्रातिपदिक; अल्प + तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• स्थानम्: place, status
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चिन्तयिष्यामि: I will consider
• चिन्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यः: who/which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थे ‘indeed/for’

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• संघातः: aggregate, body
• संघातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मर्त्यत्वे: in mortality
• मर्त्यत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पांचभौतिकः: made of the five elements
• पांचभौतिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्च-भौतिक (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + भौतिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditative figure reflects on the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether—subtly depicted around the body as translucent motifs, while mother and father stand on either side at equal height, indicating equal honor.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛ (father)
• mātṛ (mother)
• pañca-bhūta (five elements)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Alongside honoring the father, one must uphold the mother’s equal dignity; gratitude is grounded in the very fact of embodied life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is philosophical-ethical, invoking pañca-bhūta embodiment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prescribes an attitude—equal reverence and care for both parents.