Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

निर्धनश्च मुने कस्मात्सर्वेषां सर्वदः कुतः । इति दुर्घटवाक्यं ते मनो मोहयतीव मे

Transliteration

nirdhanaśca mune kasmātsarveṣāṃ sarvadaḥ kutaḥ | iti durghaṭavākyaṃ te mano mohayatīva me

Translation

「おお牟尼よ、どうして『無財』でありながら、しかも万人に万物を施す者であり得るのか。」—あなたのその、いかにも成り立ち難い言葉が、私の心を惑わせる。

Word by Word

• निर्धनः: poor; without wealth
• निर्धनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; निः + धन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्/निः-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (‘धनं नास्ति यस्य’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कस्मात्: why
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-तसिल् (ablatival adverb) ‘why/from what cause’

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सर्वदः: giver of all (to all)
• सर्वदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + द (√दा))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वं ददाति’)

• कुतः: from where; how; why
• कुतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय; किम्-प्रश्न)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक; हेत्वर्थ/उत्पत्त्यर्थ)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थ)

• दुर्घटवाक्यम्: hard-to-explain statement
• दुर्घटवाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्घट (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘दुर्घटं वाक्यम्’)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मोहयति: bewilders; deludes
• मोहयति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमावाचक)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)

Speaker

Himālaya (Śailarāja), addressing the sage (likely Nārada in this episode)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage explains a paradox to a perplexed father; the sage’s simplicity contrasts with an aura of spiritual abundance, suggesting hidden greatness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied as ‘nirdhanaḥ sarvadaḥ’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity transcends worldly categories: Śiva may appear possessionless, yet he is the ultimate source of all gifts and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is theological—explaining Śiva’s nature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated here; it is a doctrinal question within a dialogue.