Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

सावधानेन रक्ष्याणि भूषणानि त्वया हर । ततो हरश्च तं प्राह स्वजने माऽतिगोपय

Transliteration

sāvadhānena rakṣyāṇi bhūṣaṇāni tvayā hara | tato haraśca taṃ prāha svajane mā'tigopaya

Translation

ഹേ ഹരാ! ഈ ആഭരണങ്ങളെ അത്യന്തം ജാഗ്രതയോടെ കാത്തുസൂക്ഷിക്കണം. പിന്നെ ഹരൻ അവനോട്—സ്വജനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് ഇതിനെ അതിയായി മറയ്ക്കരുത്—എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• sāvadhānena: with attentiveness/carefully
• sāvadhānena: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāvadhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्—‘सावधान’

• rakṣyāṇi: to be protected
• rakṣyāṇi: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √rakṣ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचनम् (Plural); विधेय-विशेषणम्—‘रक्षितव्यानि’ (to be protected)

• bhūṣaṇāni: ornaments
• bhūṣaṇāni: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• hara: protect/keep (lit. take/hold)
• hara: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—काल/क्रमवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (temporal/sequence adverb)

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• prāha: said/spoke
• prāha: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• svajane: among one’s own people/kinsmen
• svajane: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (prohibitive particle)

• atigopaya: hide too much/over-conceal
• atigopaya: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gup (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (Singular); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः ‘ati-’ (excessively)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) reporting dialogue; Śiva (Hara) replies in second half

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, intimate exchange: a devotee/advisor urges Hara (Śiva) to guard ornaments carefully; Śiva responds with calm authority, advising not to hide them excessively from one’s own people. The setting suggests a ceremonial hall with attendants and ritual paraphernalia.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes careful stewardship of sacred items, balanced with trust and openness within one’s rightful community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the verse concerns conduct within a ritual or ceremonial setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical injunction: protect ceremonial ornaments attentively (sāvadhānena rakṣyāṇi).