Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

आशां कृत्वाभ्युपायातं निराशं नेक्षितुं क्षमाः । भवंति साधवस्तस्माज्जीवितान्मरणं वरम्

Transliteration

āśāṃ kṛtvābhyupāyātaṃ nirāśaṃ nekṣituṃ kṣamāḥ | bhavaṃti sādhavastasmājjīvitānmaraṇaṃ varam

Translation

The good cannot bear to look upon one who came with hope and has become hopeless; therefore, for them death is preferable to life.

Word by Word

• आशाम्: hope
• आशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive/gerund)

• अभ्युपायातम्: one who has approached (come near)
• अभ्युपायातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-उप-आ-या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अभ्युपायात’ = approached/come near

• निराशम्: hopeless
• निराशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the person)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• ईक्षितुम्: to look at
• ईक्षितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक अव्यय

• क्षमाः: able, capable
• क्षमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of sādhavaḥ)

• भवन्ति: are/become
• भवन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• साधवः: good people, the virtuous
• साधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative: therefore/from that)

• जीवितात्: than life, from living
• जीवितात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Vidhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

Speaker

Cirāyu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble person averts his gaze in pain at the sight of a once-hopeful petitioner now crushed by hopelessness; the atmosphere is heavy, with the moral weight of a promise felt like a physical burden.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhavaḥ (the virtuous)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes emotional responsibility: the virtuous cannot abandon those who approach seeking help; neglect becomes unbearable guilt.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical statement about the conduct of sādhus toward the despairing.