Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

पतिता गुरवस्त्याज्या माता च न कथंचन । गर्भधारणपोषाभ्यां तेन माता गरीयसी

Transliteration

patitā guravastyājyā mātā ca na kathaṃcana | garbhadhāraṇapoṣābhyāṃ tena mātā garīyasī

Translation

Même si des maîtres sont tombés hors de la juste conduite, on peut s’en détourner; mais la mère, en aucune circonstance, ne doit être abandonnée. Par le port de la grossesse et par la nourriture donnée, la mère est donc la plus vénérable.

Word by Word

• पतिताः: fallen (from conduct)
• पतिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; धातु: पत् (to fall)

• गुरवः: elders/teachers
• गुरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• त्याज्याः: to be abandoned
• त्याज्याः: Kriya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्याज्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; धातु: त्यज्; तव्यत् (gerundive: 'to be abandoned')

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कथंचन: in any manner (at all)
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'in any way/at all')

• गर्भधारणपोषाभ्याम्: by (the acts of) carrying the womb and nourishing
• गर्भधारणपोषाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ-धारण-पोष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (garbhadhāraṇa + poṣa)

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu/Instrumental (Reason/तृतीया-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• गरीयसी: more venerable/greater
• गरीयसी: Kriya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern didactic moment: a sage/elder instructs a conflicted youth, emphasizing the mother’s womb-bearing and nurturing; imagery of pregnancy and feeding as sacred acts.

Characters & Entities

• Guravaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It asserts the absolute, non-negotiable duty to honor and never forsake one’s mother.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised; the verse is a strong normative statement of dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is stated; the prescription is ethical: never abandon the mother and recognize her supreme claim to reverence.