Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अद्य ते स्वामिनी दृष्टा जिता वा क्रीडते मया । तया वा विजितो यास्ये पूर्वेषां कामिनां गतिम्

Transliteration

adya te svāminī dṛṣṭā jitā vā krīḍate mayā | tayā vā vijito yāsye pūrveṣāṃ kāmināṃ gatim

Translation

今日こそ汝の女主人にまみえよう。もし我が勝てば、彼女と戯れよう。もし彼女が我に勝てば、我は昔の欲に駆られし男たちの辿った道へ赴くであろう。

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: today)

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

• स्वामिनी: mistress/lady (wife)
• स्वामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्टा: seen
• दृष्टा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जिता: conquered/defeated
• जिता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• क्रीडते: plays/sports
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तया: by her/with her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• विजितः: defeated (I, being defeated)
• विजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यास्ये: I shall go
• यास्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूर्वेषाम्: of the former/previous
• पूर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kāminām)

• कामिनाम्: of lovers
• कामिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• गतिम्: path/condition/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ghaṭotkaca (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant young hero speaks with swagger, declaring he will either conquer the mistress and sport, or be conquered and meet the fate of earlier lust-driven men; the setting implies a palace threshold and impending encounter with a powerful woman/Devī-like figure.

Characters & Entities

• svāminī (the mistress/lady, unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked desire turns into a wager with ruin; pride in passion can lead to the same downfall as earlier transgressors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative and anticipatory speech.