Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

वधबंधनिरोधेन पीडयंति दिवानिशम् । देहं किमेतद्धातुः स्वं मातुर्वा जनकस्य वा

Transliteration

vadhabaṃdhanirodhena pīḍayaṃti divāniśam | dehaṃ kimetaddhātuḥ svaṃ māturvā janakasya vā

Translation

Par le meurtre, les liens et l’enfermement, ils tourmentent (autrui) jour et nuit. Mais à qui donc appartient ce corps : à soi-même, à la mère, ou au père ?

Word by Word

• वध: killing
• वध: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• बंधन: binding, captivity
• बंधन: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बंधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• निरोधेन: by restraint/confinement (and the like)
• निरोधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन (Singular); वध-बंधन-निरोध इति समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः (त्रयाणां साधनत्वम्)

• पीडयन्ति: torment, oppress
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• निशम्: by night
• निशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘दिवानिशम्’ = दिवा च निशं च (day and night)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Prashna-visheshana (Interrogative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; किम् इति सह विशेषणम्

• धातुः: element/constituent
• धातुः: Karta/Predicate (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वम्: one’s own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; स्वकीयत्व-बोधक (possessive adjective)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• जनकस्य: of the father
• जनकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark tableau: captives or animals bound in a pen; a figure of dharma (Nandabhadra) points to them while asking the piercing question of bodily ownership; parents stand in the background symbolizing origin of the body.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence and captivity are condemned, and the verse provokes humility by questioning the very claim of ownership over the body.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the focus is inward reflection and dharmic critique of cruelty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it functions as a moral warning against harm (hiṃsā) and coercion.