Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मलीमसेन पापेन पांचभौतेन किं सुखम् । बालोयं वेदविच्छांतस्तपस्वी बहुशास्त्रवित्

Transliteration

malīmasena pāpena pāṃcabhautena kiṃ sukham | bāloyaṃ vedavicchāṃtastapasvī bahuśāstravit

Translation

മാലിന്യവും പാപവും നിറഞ്ഞ പഞ്ചഭൂതനിർമ്മിതമായ ഈ ശരീരത്തിൽ എന്ത് സുഖമാണുള്ളത്? ഈ ബാലൻ ശാന്തനും വേദജ്ഞനും തപസ്വിയും അനേകം ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ അറിഞ്ഞവനുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• मलीमसेन: by/with filthy (impurity)
• मलीमसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलीमस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental of means)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पाञ्चभौतेन: by what is made of the five elements
• पाञ्चभौतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; पञ्चभूतसम्बन्धि (pertaining to the five elements)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• बालः: a boy
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वेदवित्: knower of the Veda
• वेदवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद् (धातु) + वेद (उपपद) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-समासान्त कृदन्त (वेदं वेत्ति इति)

• शान्तः: peaceful
• शान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तपस्वी: an ascetic
• तपस्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• बहुशास्त्रवित्: knower of many scriptures
• बहुशास्त्रवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + शास्त्र + विद् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-समासान्त कृदन्त (बहूनि शास्त्राणि वेत्ति इति)

Speaker

The wife (Madayantī, praising the boy and condemning bodily sin)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene, learned boy-ascetic sits composed, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; the speaker gestures toward the frailty of the five-element body, contrasting purity of mind with bodily impurity.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• śāstra
• tapasvī (ascetic boy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly embodiment is fragile and morally perilous; Vedic knowledge, peace, and tapas are upheld as true worth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is evaluative, praising tapas and learning.