Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मस्त कस्थायिनं मृत्युं यदि पश्येदयं जनः । आहारोऽपि न रोचेत किमुताकार्यकारिता

Transliteration

masta kasthāyinaṃ mṛtyuṃ yadi paśyedayaṃ janaḥ | āhāro'pi na roceta kimutākāryakāritā

Translation

Si quelqu’un voyait la mort se tenir au-dessus de sa tête, même la nourriture ne lui plairait plus ; à plus forte raison ne se livrerait-il pas à des actes iniques.

Word by Word

• मस्त: intoxicated
• मस्त: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• कस्थायिनम्: standing on a log/wood (kāṣṭha)
• कस्थायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कस्थायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनः: person
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहारः: food
• आहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• रोचेत: would please/appeal
• रोचेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative used adverbially)

• उत: then/indeed
• उत: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प/उत्कर्षसूचक (particle: then/indeed)

• अकार्यकारिता: doing of forbidden acts
• अकार्यकारिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य + कारिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः (doing of what should not be done)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed group (women/others)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark allegory: Death poised above a person’s head like a shadow; the person turns away from food, face pale, hands withdrawn, realizing the futility of wrongdoing.

Characters & Entities

• mṛtyu (death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering mortality curbs reckless desire; dharma is strengthened by mṛtyu-smaraṇa and sober discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it recommends a contemplative discipline: awareness of death to prevent wrongdoing.