Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

प्रतीपपालकंनाम संस्थितं शिवशासनम् । ततः कामादिभिः षड्भिः पदैश्चंक्रमणात्मिकाम्

Transliteration

pratīpapālakaṃnāma saṃsthitaṃ śivaśāsanam | tataḥ kāmādibhiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ padaiścaṃkramaṇātmikām

Translation

Entonces quedó establecido un precepto śaiva llamado «Pratīpapālaka». Después, impulsado por los seis arrebatos que comienzan con el deseo, mi propia vida se volvió un vagar inquieto, paso tras paso.

Word by Word

• pratīpapālakam: Pratīpapālaka (name/title)
• pratīpapālakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīpa + pālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (प्रतीपस्य पालकः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Nipata (Naming marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नाम-शब्दः, indeclinable marker): ‘नाम’ = by name/called

• saṃsthitam: established
• saṃsthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ + sthā (स्था—तिष्ठति धातु) → saṃsthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘संस्थितम्’ = established/placed

• śivaśāsanam: Śiva’s command/ordinance
• śivaśāsanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शिवस्य शासनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ततः (then/thereupon)

• kāmādibhiḥ: by/with Kāma and others
• kāmādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: कामः आदिः येषाम् (कामा-आदि-समूह); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• ṣaḍbhiḥ: with six
• ṣaḍbhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘षड्भिः’ = with six

• padaiḥ: with steps
• padaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘पदैः’ = by steps/feet/words (context: steps)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): च (and)

• aṃkramaṇātmikām: having the nature of pacing/walking
• aṃkramaṇātmikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caṃkramaṇa + ātmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: चंक्रमणम् आत्मा यस्याः/यस्य; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘चंक्रमणात्मिकाम्’ इति)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A written or proclaimed Śaiva ordinance ‘Pratīpapālaka’ is established; then the figure is shown walking endlessly, pulled by personified impulses (kāma etc.), footprints marking ceaseless steps.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked inner impulses—starting with desire—produce restlessness; Śaiva dharma implies restraint and steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on an inner moral-spiritual condition within a Śaiva narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse.