Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

न शर्म लभते सेना तस्मात्त्वमभिषेचय । महीसागरसंभूतैः पुण्यैश्चापि शिवैर्जलैः

Transliteration

na śarma labhate senā tasmāttvamabhiṣecaya | mahīsāgarasaṃbhūtaiḥ puṇyaiścāpi śivairjalaiḥ

Translation

«L’armée ne trouve pas la paix ; c’est pourquoi accepte la consécration—par des eaux auspiciées et saintes, nées de la terre et de l’océan.»

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• śarma: comfort, peace
• śarma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• senā: the army
• senā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: senā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: tad)
• Form: हेतौ-अव्ययप्रयोगः; मूलतः तद्-शब्दस्य पञ्चमी एकवचन (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• abhiṣecaya: anoint (perform consecration)
• abhiṣecaya: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sic (धातु) + abhi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense not intended (simple imperative)

• mahī-sāgara-saṃbhūtaiḥ: with (waters) arisen from the earth-ocean
• mahī-sāgara-saṃbhūtaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + sāgara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhūta (कृदन्त, √bhū)
• Form: बहुवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (जलैः इति नपुंसक-बहुवचनान्वयः); समासः: मह्याः सागरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + तस्मात् सम्भूत (पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

• puṇyaiḥ: holy, meritorious
• puṇyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• śivaiḥ: auspicious
• śivaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• jalaiḥ: with waters
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śakra (Indra) and the Devas (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense encampment of soldiers; elders/priests counsel a leader to accept abhiṣeka. Golden vessels hold mixed waters—river and ocean—glinting under a Śaiva banner; conch and drum signal a rite meant to bring peace.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Devas
• Senā (army)
• Mahī (earth)
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual consecration aligns collective welfare with sacred order; peace comes when leadership is ritually and morally established.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes sacred waters in general (earth- and ocean-sourced), within the Mahī riverbank narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka using puṇya and śiva (auspicious) waters—suggesting a multi-source tīrtha-jala consecration.