Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

यो देवान्मन्यते नैव धर्मांश्च मनुसूचितान् । नैतौ स याति पंथानौ तत्त्वार्थोऽयं निरूपितः

Transliteration

yo devānmanyate naiva dharmāṃśca manusūcitān | naitau sa yāti paṃthānau tattvārtho'yaṃ nirūpitaḥ

Translation

ಯಾರು ದೇವರನ್ನು ಅಂಗೀಕರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ಮನು ಸೂಚಿಸಿದ ಧರ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಅವನು ಈ ಎರಡು ಮಾರ್ಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಯಾವುದನ್ನೂ ಅನುಸರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಇದು ತತ್ತ್ವಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಣೀತವಾಗಿದೆ।

Word by Word

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

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मन्यते: thinks/considers
• मन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• धर्मान्: duties/laws
• धर्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• मनुसूचितान्: indicated by Manu
• मनुसूचितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचित (वच्/सूच् धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनुना सूचिताः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पन्थानौ: (two) paths
• पन्थानौ: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पन्थान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन

• तत्त्वार्थः: the true meaning/principle
• तत्त्वार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तत्त्वस्य अर्थः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निरूपितः: has been explained/established
• निरूपितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-रूप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two luminous roads (light and smoke) stand guarded by personified Dharma; a figure who turns away from devas and dharma finds the roads fading, entering a barren, trackless wasteland—symbolizing ‘no path’.

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rejecting the devas and Manu-taught dharma disqualifies one from the recognized dharmic paths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse focuses on doctrinal adherence rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it frames eligibility for the two dharmic paths previously stated.