Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

धारणां सम्यगास्थाय समाधावचलो भवेत् । यदि नेच्छति ते मृत्युं ततो नासौ प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

dhāraṇāṃ samyagāsthāya samādhāvacalo bhavet | yadi necchati te mṛtyuṃ tato nāsau prapadyate

Translation

Ayant établi correctement la dhāraṇā, qu’on demeure inébranlable en samādhi. Si, alors, la mort ne te “désire” pas, elle ne te saisit point.

Word by Word

• धारणाम्: concentration (dhāraṇā)
• धारणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: properly)

• आस्थाय: having taken up
• आस्थाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having undertaken/entered)

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• अचलः: steady, unmoving
• अचलः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular; 2nd person pronoun)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Result/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कारण/अनन्तर-अव्यय (therefore/then)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun)

• प्रपद्यते: falls into, meets (it)
• प्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in padmāsana, breath subtle, mind fixed; behind him a personified Mṛtyu pauses at a threshold, unable to enter the circle of samādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Samādhi
• Dhāraṇā
• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady meditation stabilizes the mind and weakens fear; spiritual firmness is portrayed as a condition under which death cannot easily ‘seize’ the yogin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is referenced; the verse is yogic instruction rather than sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative practice is prescribed: establish dhāraṇā and remain unwavering in samādhi.