Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यत्किंचित्साध्यते लोके मूलं तस्य च कामना । कथं कामं विनिंदति तस्मात्ते मोक्षसाधकाः

Transliteration

yatkiṃcitsādhyate loke mūlaṃ tasya ca kāmanā | kathaṃ kāmaṃ viniṃdati tasmātte mokṣasādhakāḥ

Translation

ലോകത്തിൽ എന്തെങ്കിലും സാധ്യമാകുന്നതിന്റെ മൂലമാണ് കാമന. അപ്പോൾ കാമത്തെ എങ്ങനെ നിന്ദിക്കാം? അതിനാൽ മോക്ഷസാധകരും (സൂക്ഷ്മരൂപത്തിൽ) അതിനെയേ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः ‘यत्…तस्य’

• किञ्चित्: anything, something
• किञ्चित्: Karma/Karta (Indefinite ‘something’/अनिश्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम

• साध्यते: is accomplished
• साध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मूलम्: the root, basis
• मूलम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

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

• कामना: desire, longing
• कामना: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कामम्: desire
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• विनिन्दति: condemns
• विनिन्दति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः—वि; धातु—निन्द् (निन्दँ कुत्सायाम्)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतु/निष्कर्षार्थक निपातवत् ‘therefore’

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (enclitic) ‘तव/ते’

• मोक्षसाधकाः: means/agents of liberation
• मोक्षसाधकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—मोक्षस्य साधकाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic ‘tree of action’ whose root is labeled kāmanā; branches bear fruits labeled dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa; a yogin waters only the mokṣa branch, showing sublimation.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Kāma (Manmatha)
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is the driving intention behind action; spiritual life refines desire rather than merely denying it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; the focus is ethical-philosophical discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it frames a principle about motivation and attainment.