Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

न व्याधिमरके देशे शपथान्कोशमेव च । दिव्यान्यासुरकैर्मंत्रैः स्तंभयंतीह केचन

Transliteration

na vyādhimarake deśe śapathānkośameva ca | divyānyāsurakairmaṃtraiḥ staṃbhayaṃtīha kecana

Translation

Dans un pays frappé par la maladie et la mort, il ne faut recourir ni aux serments ni aux ordalies du trésor. Car ici certains, par des mantras d’asuras, immobilisent et entravent les épreuves divines.

Word by Word

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

• vyādhi-marake: in (a place) of disease and death
• vyādhi-marake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + maraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (व्याधिः च मरकः च) — locative qualifier

• deśe: in the region
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• śapathān: oaths
• śapathān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śapatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• kośam: treasury
• kośam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

• divyān: divine
• divyān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रान्)

• āsurakaiḥ: demonic/asuric
• āsurakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsuraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रैः)

• maṃtraiḥ: by mantras
• maṃtraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• staṃbhayanti: they paralyze/stop
• staṃbhayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stambh (स्तम्भ्)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; causative sense in usage (स्तम्भयति = to paralyze/stop)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• kecana: some (people)
• kecana: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A plague-struck city with funeral smoke and anxious citizens; in the royal court, a ‘divya’ ordeal setup (fire/water/scale) is being subtly disrupted by a dark-robed sorcerer chanting; the king and dharma-ministers look alarmed, restraining the rite.

Characters & Entities

• āsuraka (demonic forces)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Justice and governance must be safeguarded from manipulation; in unstable times, unreliable ordeals should be avoided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is praised; the verse concerns political-ethical caution in a troubled region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoiding certain oath-based or treasury-based ordeals in a calamity-stricken land due to the risk of mantra-based interference.