Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शोच्यं पातकिनं मां च संस्तुवध्वं कथं सुराः । पंचानामपि यो भर्ता प्राकृतोऽसौ न कीर्त्यते

Transliteration

śocyaṃ pātakinaṃ māṃ ca saṃstuvadhvaṃ kathaṃ surāḥ | paṃcānāmapi yo bhartā prākṛto'sau na kīrtyate

Translation

“ഹേ സുരന്മാരേ, ശോച്യനായ പാപിയായ എന്നെ നിങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ സ്തുതിക്കുന്നു? അഞ്ചിന്റെയും (ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളുടെ) അധിപനായാലും പ്രാകൃതമായ ലോകഭാവത്തിൽ വീണാൽ അവൻ കീർത്തിക്കർഹനല്ല.”

Word by Word

• शोच्यम्: to be lamented
• शोच्यम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोच्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from शुच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (worthy of lament)

• पातकिनम्: a sinner
• पातकिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Nipāta (Conjunction/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संस्तुवध्वम्: praise (you all)
• संस्तुवध्वम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (interrogative adverb of manner)

• सुराः: O gods
• सुराः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

• पञ्चानाम्: of the five
• पञ्चानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• भर्ता: lord, supporter
• भर्ता: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राकृतः: ordinary, common
• प्राकृतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दूरवाचक (that one)

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• कीर्त्यते: is praised/celebrated
• कीर्त्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya) (deduced: the 'great-souled one' addressing devas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (addressed); Pārtha (addressed by narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda speaks with calm severity, pointing inward (toward the heart) as devas stand with folded hands, their praise transformed into attentive listening.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Guha (implied speaker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Praise is secondary to purity: self-mastery and dharmic intention matter more than external victory or acclaim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up the need for prāyaścitta (atonement) and ethical reflection.