Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

आलस्योपहतो राजा व्यसनी नरकं व्रजेत् । एवमादीनि चान्यानि पापान्याहुः पुराविदः

Transliteration

ālasyopahato rājā vyasanī narakaṃ vrajet | evamādīni cānyāni pāpānyāhuḥ purāvidaḥ

Translation

ആലസ്യം പിടിച്ച രാജാവും ദുഷ്പ്രവൃത്തികളിൽ അടിമയായ രാജാവും നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു. ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള മറ്റു പാപങ്ങളെയും പുരാണവിദ്വാൻമാർ പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• ālasya-upahataḥ: overcome by laziness
• ālasya-upahataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ālasya + upa + √han (हन् धातु) → upahata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘upahata’; तत्पुरुष ‘आलस्येन उपहतः’ (struck/overcome by laziness)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vyasanī: addicted (to vices)
• vyasanī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasanin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (addicted/vice-ridden)

• narakam: hell
• narakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vrajet: should go (to)
• vrajet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• evamādīni: such (sins) and the like
• evamādīni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: evam + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव ‘एवम्-आदि’ = ‘such and the like’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• anyāni: other
• anyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• purāvidaḥ: the knowers of ancient lore
• purāvidaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purā + vid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘पुराणां विदः’ (knowers of old/ancients)

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king reclining in indolence amid wine and dice while the kingdom suffers; a shadowy Yama-path opens behind him; sages in the margin point to a list of ‘other sins’ as a scroll.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• naraka (hell)
• purāvidaḥ (knowers of ancient lore)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership demands vigilance and self-control; laziness and vice become causes of downfall in this world and the next.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it warns against ālasya (sloth) and vyasana (vices).