Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

का गतिर्लब्धराज्यानां तपसो देवजन्मनाम् । न यज्ञाः संप्रवर्तंते न पूज्यन्ते सुरा भुवि

Transliteration

kā gatirlabdharājyānāṃ tapaso devajanmanām | na yajñāḥ saṃpravartaṃte na pūjyante surā bhuvi

Translation

Quel sort attend ceux qui ont obtenu la souveraineté par l’austérité, ceux qui sont nés dieux ? Les sacrifices ne se poursuivent plus, et les dieux ne sont plus adorés sur la terre.

Word by Word

• का: what
• का: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• गतिः: course/goal
• गतिः: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लब्ध-राज्यानाम्: of those who have obtained kingdoms
• लब्ध-राज्यानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लब्ध (लभ् धातु; कृदन्त) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (लब्धं राज्यं येषाम्—sense close to बहुव्रीहि, but form used as genitive of compound)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव-जन्मनाम्: of divine births
• देव-जन्मनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (deva-janman = divine births)

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

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संप्रवर्तन्ते: proceed/are performed
• संप्रवर्तन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• पूज्यन्ते: are worshipped
• पूज्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद-रूप

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject) (of passive: logical agent absent; here subject of 'are worshipped')
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि-शब्द/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), voicing the crisis perceived by the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Altars cold, sacrificial fires extinguished; devas appear unhonored, offerings absent; sages and kings look bewildered under a darkened sky.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Yajña
• Aruṇācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic balance is disturbed, dharmic institutions like yajña and deva-pūjā collapse—highlighting the need for divine restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala remains the implied sacred axis of the narrative, though this verse speaks generally of dharma’s breakdown.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña and deva-pūjā are referenced as practices that have ceased; no new prescription is given in this line.