Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अतीत्य संसारमनादिमूलं मायामयं मायया दुर्विचार्यम् । मायां त्यक्त्वा निर्ममा वीतरागा गच्छंति ते प्रेतराणिनर्विकल्पम्

Transliteration

atītya saṃsāramanādimūlaṃ māyāmayaṃ māyayā durvicāryam | māyāṃ tyaktvā nirmamā vītarāgā gacchaṃti te pretarāṇinarvikalpam

Translation

Habiendo trascendido el saṃsāra—de raíz sin comienzo y de naturaleza Māyā, difícil de sondear por la propia Māyā—quienes abandonan la Māyā, libres de posesividad y apego, van más allá del sendero de los difuntos y alcanzan el estado nirvikalpa, inmutable y sin pensamiento.

Word by Word

• अतीत्य: having transcended
• अतीत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + √इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having crossed/gone beyond)

• संसारम्: worldly existence; saṃsāra
• संसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• अनादिमूलम्: having a beginningless root
• अनादिमूलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (अनादि च तत् मूलम् = beginningless in root)

• मायामयम्: made of illusion
• मायामयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक, स्त्री) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मायया मयम् = made of māyā)

• मायया: by/through māyā
• मायया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• दुर्विचार्यम्: hard to comprehend/reflect upon
• दुर्विचार्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विचार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर्/√चिन्त्? here from √चर् in causative? standard: √चर् 'to consider' as vi-√car 'to reflect', यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दुः + विचार्यम् = difficult to be contemplated)

• मायाम्: māyā; illusion
• मायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• निर्ममाः: without possessiveness
• निर्ममाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक; निर्- + मम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• वीतरागाः: free from passion/attachment
• वीतरागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ, क्त, 'gone') + राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (रागः वीतः येषाम्/येषु = free from attachment)

• गच्छन्ति: go; proceed
• गच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• प्रेतराणि: (uncertain reading)
• प्रेतराणि: Karma/Goal (कर्म/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + राणि (प्रातिपदिक; uncertain)
• Form: रूपपाठे सन्दिग्धम्; सम्भाव्यं नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचन; पाठभेदसम्भवः

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

• अर्विकल्पम्: (uncertain; likely 'nirvikalpa' = without conceptualization)
• अर्विकल्पम्: Gati/Goal (गति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्विकल्प (प्रातिपदिक; uncertain)
• Form: रूपपाठे सन्दिग्धम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सम्भाव्यं पाठः 'निर्विकल्पम्'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seeker concerned with liberation and the after-death condition

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage stands at Kedāra with a severed chain motif: māyā depicted as a translucent veil peeling away; behind it, a still, colorless expanse. A faint ‘preta-path’ road fades into darkness while the sage steps into light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation comes by transcending Māyā through non-possessiveness and freedom from attachment, culminating in nirvikalpa awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within Kedāra Khaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāranātha sacred landscape, though this verse itself is primarily philosophical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on inner renunciation (tyāga), non-attachment, and knowledge.