Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

आचाराल्लभते ह्यायुराचारो हंत्यलक्षणम् । यज्ञदानतपांसीह पुरुषस्य न भूतये

Transliteration

ācārāllabhate hyāyurācāro haṃtyalakṣaṇam | yajñadānatapāṃsīha puruṣasya na bhūtaye

Translation

സദാചാരത്തിലൂടെ ആയുസ്സ് ലഭിക്കുന്നു; സദാചാരം അമംഗലലക്ഷണങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ആചാരമില്ലാത്ത യജ്ഞം, ദാനം, തപസ്സ് ഇവിടെയൊരു പുരുഷന് യഥാർത്ഥ അഭ്യുദയം നൽകുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

• आचारात्: from conduct
• आचारात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (हेतु/अपादानार्थे)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; कारण/निश्चयार्थक

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आचारः: conduct
• आचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हन्ति: destroys
• हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अलक्षणम्: inauspiciousness; bad signs
• अलक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्-उपसर्ग) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषभावः (लक्षणाभावः)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• दान: gift; charity
• दान: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• तपांसि: austerities
• तपांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• यज्ञदानतपांसि: sacrifice, charity, and austerities
• यज्ञदानतपांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-अव्यय (here/in this world)

• पुरुषस्य: of a man
• पुरुषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• भूतये: for prosperity; for welfare
• भूतये: Sampradana/Prayojana (Beneficiary/Purpose/सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थे)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting figures: one radiant and long-lived through simple disciplined conduct; another performing grand yajña/dāna/tapas but shadowed by inauspicious signs due to misconduct—showing ācāra as the true source of bhūti.

Characters & Entities

• Ācāra
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ethical conduct is the root of auspicious life and spiritual progress; rituals without integrity are portrayed as ineffective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the focus is universal dharma regarding ācāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An evaluative rule: yajña, dāna, and tapas should be grounded in sadācāra to yield well-being.