Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

लालितः पालितो वापि स्वस्वभावं न मुंचति । एवं मे मन्यते बुद्धिर्भवंतो यद्व्यवस्यताम्

Transliteration

lālitaḥ pālito vāpi svasvabhāvaṃ na muṃcati | evaṃ me manyate buddhirbhavaṃto yadvyavasyatām

Translation

Qu’on le cajole ou qu’on le garde avec soin, nul n’abandonne sa propre nature. Telle est la compréhension mûrie de mon esprit ; à vous d’en décider en conséquence.

Word by Word

• lālitaḥ: (even if) caressed
• lālitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lālita (कृदन्त; √lāl/लाल् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• pālitaḥ: (even if) protected, nurtured
• pālitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pālita (कृदन्त; √pāl/पाल् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक (concessive/emphatic particle)

• sva: one's own
• sva: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय/सर्वनाम-विशेषण; समासाङ्ग (in compound)

• svabhāvam: one's own nature
• svabhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य भावः)

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

• muñcati: abandons, gives up
• muñcati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (also used as dative in usage); here: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (of me)

• manyate: thinks, considers
• manyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• buddhiḥ: intellect, understanding
• buddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhavantaḥ: you (honored ones)
• bhavantaḥ: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific)

• yat: what, that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• vyavasyatām: decide, determine
• vyavasyatām: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + ava + √sā/सा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थ (command/request)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker continues, contrasting indulgence and protection with unchanging nature; devas exchange thoughtful glances as the counsel lands with sober clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Lasting transformation requires inner virtue; policy must recognize character and act to uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.