Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

छद्मनोपचरेद्यस्तु पितरौ स्वामिनं गुरून् । प्राप्तव्यार्थस्यातिकष्टात्परिभ्रंशोर्थजो भवेत्

Transliteration

chadmanopacaredyastu pitarau svāminaṃ gurūn | prāptavyārthasyātikaṣṭātparibhraṃśorthajo bhavet

Translation

父母・主君・師に対して欺きの振る舞いをする者は、たとえ繁栄を得ようと甚だしく苦労しても、その不義ゆえに、得た財そのものが崩れ失われる。

Word by Word

• छद्मना: by deceit
• छद्मना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrument): ‘छद्मना’ (by deceit)

• उपचरेत्: should behave/serve
• उपचरेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: चर् (चरति) उपसर्ग: उप-; अर्थ: ‘सेवेत/व्यवहरेत्’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• पितरौ: the two parents
• पितरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; ‘माता-पिता’ अर्थे प्रायः; यहाँ ‘पितरौ’ = parents (dual)

• स्वामिनम्: master
• स्वामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गुरून्: teachers/elders
• गुरून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• प्राप्तव्य: to be obtained
• प्राप्तव्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/future passive participle): ‘प्राप्तव्य’ (to be obtained)

• अर्थस्य: of wealth/goal
• अर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अतिकष्टात्: from extreme hardship
• अतिकष्टात्: Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति-कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः: ‘अतिकष्ट’ (extreme hardship)

• परिभ्रंशः: downfall
• परिभ्रंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-भ्रंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अर्थजः: arising from wealth
• अर्थजः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थ-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अर्थात् जायते’ इति पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (born from wealth/caused by wealth)

• भवेत्: would occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A student/servant smiling outwardly while hiding a dagger-like scroll behind his back from parents and guru; coins spill through a torn pouch, symbolizing wealth-ruin born of deceit.

Characters & Entities

• pitarau
• svāmin
• guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deceit toward parents, teachers, and benefactors destroys one’s prosperity; dharma is the true foundation of success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches general Purāṇic dharma within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse gives an ethical injunction—truthful, respectful conduct toward elders.