Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

पतिता मृगतृष्णायां मायया च वशीकृताः । वयं सर्वे च विबुधाः प्राज्ञाः पंडितमानिनः

Transliteration

patitā mṛgatṛṣṇāyāṃ māyayā ca vaśīkṛtāḥ | vayaṃ sarve ca vibudhāḥ prājñāḥ paṃḍitamāninaḥ

Translation

蜃気楼（ムリガトリシュナー）に堕ち、マーヤーの支配に屈して、我らは皆—学識と知恵があろうとも—ただ自らを真の学者と思いなすにすぎない。

Word by Word

• पतिताः: fallen
• पतिताः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle: fallen); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मृग-तृष्णायाम्: in the mirage
• मृग-तृष्णायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मृगस्य तृष्णा = ‘mirage’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मायया: by illusion (māyā)
• मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• वशीकृताः: subjugated/controlled
• वशीकृताः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशी + √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: brought under control); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• विबुधाः: gods/wise beings
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्राज्ञाः: learned/wise
• प्राज्ञाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पण्डित-मानिनः: self-styled scholars
• पण्डित-मानिनः: Predicate/Viśeṣya (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक) + मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पण्डित इति मानिनः = ‘those who think themselves scholars’); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/ṛṣis/pilgrims in Kedāra frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-scholar with manuscripts and a proud posture walks toward a shimmering mirage that dissolves into Māyā’s veil; behind, Kedāra’s stark mountains and the liṅga shrine stand as the ‘real’; the scholar’s shadow morphs into a net, symbolizing bondage by self-conceit.

Characters & Entities

• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly confidence in learning can be mere self-conceit when the mind is still ruled by Māyā; true wisdom begins with recognizing one’s delusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kedārakhaṇḍa context, connected to Kedāra (Kedarnath) and its liberating Shaiva vision.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated here; it emphasizes inner discernment over illusion.