Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

तत्र स्वर्गसुखं भुक्त्वा पुण्यक्षयकरं महत् । पुण्यक्षयेऽपि यज्वानो मर्त्यलोकं पतंति वै

Transliteration

tatra svargasukhaṃ bhuktvā puṇyakṣayakaraṃ mahat | puṇyakṣaye'pi yajvāno martyalokaṃ pataṃti vai

Translation

Là, après avoir goûté aux délices du ciel—délices qui épuisent grandement le mérite amassé—quand ce mérite s’éteint, même les sacrifiants retombent assurément dans le monde des mortels.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्वर्गसुखम्: heavenly pleasure
• स्वर्गसुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + सुख (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘स्वर्गस्य सुखम्’

• भुक्त्वा: having enjoyed
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—भुक्त्वा = having enjoyed

• पुण्यक्षयकरम्: causing the exhaustion of merit
• पुण्यक्षयकरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying svargasukham): ‘पुण्यस्य क्षयं करोति’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying svargasukham)

• पुण्यक्षये: at the exhaustion of merit
• पुण्यक्षये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘पुण्यस्य क्षये’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थः—also/even

• यज्वानः: sacrificers
• यज्वानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; यजमानाः (sacrificers)

• मर्त्यलोकम्: the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य + लोक (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘मर्त्यानां लोकः’

• पतन्ति: fall/descend
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle), अव्यय; अर्थः—indeed/verily

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial court where a sacrificer enjoys svarga delights; beneath, a fading aura/garland symbolizes merit depletion, and a downward path back to earth appears—teaching impermanence.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• martyaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heavenly rewards are impermanent because they consume merit; lasting freedom requires a transcendent goal beyond svarga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within Kedāra’s teaching sequence, contrasting svarga’s temporariness with Śiva’s liberating grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; it explains the karmic consequence of svarga as the fruit of yajña.