Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अन्यथैव स्तनं पुत्रश्चिंतयत्यन्यथा पतिः । चित्तं विशोधयेत्तस्मात्किमन्यैर्बाह्यशोधनैः

Transliteration

anyathaiva stanaṃ putraściṃtayatyanyathā patiḥ | cittaṃ viśodhayettasmātkimanyairbāhyaśodhanaiḥ

Translation

മകൻ സ്തനത്തെ ഒരു ഭാവത്തിൽ കാണുന്നു; ഭർത്താവ് മറ്റൊരു ഭാവത്തിൽ. അതിനാൽ ചിത്തം ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കണം; മറ്റു ബാഹ്യശുദ്ധികൾക്ക് എന്തുപ്രയോജനം?

Word by Word

• अन्यथा: in one way/otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• स्तनम्: breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• चिन्तयति: thinks/considers
• चिन्तयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्यथा: in another way
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• चित्तम्: mind
• चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विशोधयेत्: should purify
• विशोधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थः (injunctive advice)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः; हेतौ/तस्मादर्थे (ablatival adverb)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Karma (Object—elliptic/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘शोधनैः’

• बाह्यशोधनैः: external purifications
• बाह्यशोधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्य-शोधन (प्रातिपदिक; बाह्य + शोधन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegory of perception: a mother nursing, with two subtle overlays—one showing the son’s innocent gaze, another the husband’s conjugal gaze—while a sage indicates that the mind colors meaning; a stream of water washes the head/heart rather than the body alone.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Since meaning and morality depend on the mind’s attitude, mental purification is more crucial than mere external cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse emphasizes citta-śuddhi as universally necessary, even when tīrtha practices are available.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the instruction is to purify the mind (citta-viśodhana) as the core discipline.