Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्नेहात्करणरागश्च प्रजज्ञे वैषयस्तथा । अश्रेयस्कावुभावतौ पूर्वस्तत्र गुरुः स्मृतः

Transliteration

snehātkaraṇarāgaśca prajajñe vaiṣayastathā | aśreyaskāvubhāvatau pūrvastatra guruḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

De l’attachement naît la coloration des sens, et aussi le désir des objets. Tous deux sont causes de ce qui est malsain; et en cela, le premier (l’attachement) est tenu pour l’instigateur principal.

Word by Word

• स्नेहात्: from attachment
• स्नेहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; Ablative singular

• करणरागः: passion for the senses/instruments
• करणरागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करणस्य रागः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रजज्ञे: arose/was born
• प्रजज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वैषयः: sensual, pertaining to objects
• वैषयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying रागः

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अश्रेयस्कौ: two unwholesome (ones)
• अश्रेयस्कौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; comparative/quality adjective; ‘not beneficial’

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; pronoun/adjective agreeing with अश्रेयस्कौ

• आभवतौ: came to be/arose (both)
• आभवतौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूर्वः: the former/earlier one
• पूर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective used substantively

• तत्र: there/in that context
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गुरुः: teacher/primary cause
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is considered/remembered’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical scene: a human heart bound by a soft cord labeled ‘sneha’; from it radiate colored streams to the senses, turning into thorny vines of ‘viṣaya-rāga’ leading toward a dark pit labeled ‘aśreyas’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment gives birth to sensory obsession and worldly craving; cut the root (sneha) to prevent the harmful branches.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) by addressing the source of craving.