Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अहो प्राप्त उपायो मे स्थानप्राप्तौ न संशयः । श्लोकं व्याख्याय नृपतेर्लप्स्ये स्थानं धनं तथा

Transliteration

aho prāpta upāyo me sthānaprāptau na saṃśayaḥ | ślokaṃ vyākhyāya nṛpaterlapsye sthānaṃ dhanaṃ tathā

Translation

അഹോ! എനിക്ക് ഉപായം ലഭിച്ചു; സ്ഥാനപ്രാപ്തിയിൽ സംശയമില്ല. രാജാവിന് ഈ ശ്ലോകം വ്യാഖ്യാനിച്ച് ഞാൻ സ്ഥാനവും ധനവും നേടും.

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha-bodhaka (Exclamatory)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamation)

• प्राप्तः: obtained/attained
• प्राप्तः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; विशेषण

• उपायः: means/strategy
• उपायः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• मे: for me/of mine
• मे: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular) / दत्तिवैकल्प्य (enclitic ‘me’: of/to me); अत्र षष्ठी

• स्थानप्राप्तौ: in attaining a position
• स्थानप्राप्तौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्थानस्य प्राप्तिः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• श्लोकम्: a verse
• श्लोकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• व्याख्याय: having explained
• व्याख्याय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + ख्या (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having explained)

• नृपतेः: of the king
• नृपतेः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (of the king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• लप्स्ये: I shall obtain
• लप्स्ये: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्थानम्: position/place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable: also/likewise)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned person privately exults at a ‘means’ to secure position and wealth by explaining a śloka to the king; inner calculation contrasted with outward scholarship.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge can bring worldly gain, but the Purāṇic frame invites scrutiny of one’s motive—dharma should guide artha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse concerns courtly reward for interpretation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns explanation of scripture rather than ritual action.