Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

निसर्गात्सर्वभूतानामिति दुःखपरंपरा । क्षुधा च सर्वरोगाणां व्याधिः श्रेष्ठतमः स्मृतः

Transliteration

nisargātsarvabhūtānāmiti duḥkhaparaṃparā | kṣudhā ca sarvarogāṇāṃ vyādhiḥ śreṣṭhatamaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Par nature, chez tous les êtres vivants s’étire une suite de souffrances. Et la faim est tenue en mémoire comme la “maladie” la plus éminente parmi toutes les maladies.

Word by Word

• निसर्गात्: from nature; by natural condition
• निसर्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणार्थे (from/owing to)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• इति: thus; ‘so’
• इति: Sambandha/Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• दुःखपरंपरा: a succession/series of suffering
• दुःखपरंपरा: Karta/Predicate-noun (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख-परंपरा (प्रातिपदिक; दुःख + परंपरा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षुधा: hunger
• क्षुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वरोगाणाम्: of all diseases
• सर्वरोगाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-रोग (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + रोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• व्याधिः: a disease
• व्याधिः: Karta/Predicate-noun (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठतमः: the greatest; most eminent
• श्रेष्ठतमः: Visheshana (Adjective of व्याधिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक; श्रेष्ठ + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अतिशय-तुलनात्मक (superlative)

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (is said/considered)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective royal or noble figure contemplates the universality of suffering; in the foreground, hungry beings (humans/animals) symbolize kṣudhā as the chief affliction; a calm ascetic presence suggests śānta-viveka.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly existence naturally cycles through suffering; recognizing this supports detachment and a dharmic search for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse provides a general diagnosis of saṃsāric life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is mentioned; indirectly it highlights the virtue of anna-dāna (food charity) as a dharmic remedy to hunger.