Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

मित्रावसानिनः पापाः प्रायो नरकमंडनाः । परार्थनष्टास्तदमी पंच संप्रति साधवः

Transliteration

mitrāvasāninaḥ pāpāḥ prāyo narakamaṃḍanāḥ | parārthanaṣṭāstadamī paṃca saṃprati sādhavaḥ

Translation

സൗഹൃദം തകർക്കുന്ന പാപികൾ പലപ്പോഴും നരകത്തിന്റെ അലങ്കാരമാണ്. എന്നാൽ മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ നന്മയ്ക്കായി സ്വയം പണയമിട്ട ഈ അഞ്ചുപേർ ഇപ്പോൾ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ സാദുക്കളാണ്.

Word by Word

• मित्र-अवसानिनः: ending in friendship (i.e., having friendship as their end)
• मित्र-अवसानिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—मित्रे अवसानं येषां/मित्रे समाप्ताः

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रायः: generally / mostly
• प्रायः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रायशः-अर्थे क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: generally)

• नरक-मण्डनाः: adornments of hell (fit for hell)
• नरक-मण्डनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—नरकस्य मण्डनाः (नरकं भूषयन्ति इति)

• पर-अर्थ-नष्टाः: ruined for others’ sake / lost in others’ interests
• पर-अर्थ-नष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + नष्ट (कृदन्त, √नश्-नाशे, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—परार्थे नष्टाः/परार्थं नष्टाः

• तत्: therefore / that
• तत्: Sambandha (Deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वयार्थ

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत्

• सम्प्रति: now
• सम्प्रति: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: now/at present)

• साधवः: good people / saints
• साधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Indradyumna (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted tableaux: on one side, a figure cuts a friendship-garland, with flames and a dark gateway labeled ‘naraka’; on the other, five companions form a protective circle around a vulnerable traveler, offering their own shields.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka (hell)
• Sādhavaḥ (the righteous)
• Pañca (five companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betraying friends is treated as grave adharma, while self-sacrifice for others is praised as the hallmark of the sādhus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse frames moral geography—hell for betrayal, righteousness for selfless service.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the practical instruction is to preserve friendship and act for parārtha (others’ welfare).