Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अनयोर्हि फलं ग्राह्यं सारता नात्र काचन । अर्धदेही च मनुजस्त्वसंस्पृश्यः सतांमतः

Transliteration

anayorhi phalaṃ grāhyaṃ sāratā nātra kācana | ardhadehī ca manujastvasaṃspṛśyaḥ satāṃmataḥ

Translation

ഈ രണ്ടിലും പുറമേയുള്ള ഫലം മാത്രമേ ഗ്രഹിക്കാനാകൂ; ഇവിടെ യഥാർത്ഥ സാരം ഇല്ല. ‘അർദ്ധദേഹി’യായ മനുഷ്യൻ സജ്ജന്മാരുടെ അഭിപ്രായത്തിൽ അസ്പൃശ്യൻ—ആചാരധർമ്മത്തിൽ ഒഴിവാക്കേണ്ടവൻ—എന്നാണ് കരുതപ്പെടുന്നത്.

Word by Word

• अनयोः: of these two
• अनयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्विवचनस्य षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन (Dual); here षष्ठी 'of these two'

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• फलं: fruit/result
• फलं: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here subject of (अस्ति) implied

• ग्राह्यं: to be accepted
• ग्राह्यं: Vidhेय/Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाव्य/योग्यतावाचक (gerundive/णीयत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be accepted/taken'

• सारता: essence, substantiality
• सारता: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied अस्ति/नास्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• काचन: any (at all)
• काचन: Visheshana (विशेषण) of सारता
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• अर्धदेही: half-bodied person
• अर्धदेही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्धस्य देही = 'one having half (a body)')

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मनुजः: man, human
• मनुजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्धदेही इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• असंस्पृश्यः: untouchable (not fit to be touched)
• असंस्पृश्यः: Vidhेय/Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + संस्पृश्य (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु स्पृश्)
• Form: कृदन्त-योग्यतावाचक (gerundive/यत्) with negation; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'not to be touched/untouchable'

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• सताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• मतः: considered (as)
• मतः: Kriyā-samānārtha predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; from धातु मन् 'to think')
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'considered/held as'

Speaker

Same narrator (normative dharma voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual assembly at a tīrtha: elders indicate boundaries around a yajña/pujā space; one figure stands aside in hesitation, emphasizing the theme of eligibility versus mere fruit-seeking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not merely external ‘fruit’; it requires inner wholeness and rightful order, otherwise one becomes ritually/socially unsuitable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it stresses dharmic eligibility and purity norms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit purity rule: the ‘ardhadehī’ is deemed asaṃspṛśya (to be avoided) according to the virtuous.