Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

प्रमत्तेंद्रियवृत्तैश्च कामरागप्रपीडनात् । रागोद्वृत्तस्य सततं कुतः सौख्यं हि यौवने

Transliteration

pramatteṃdriyavṛttaiśca kāmarāgaprapīḍanāt | rāgodvṛttasya satataṃ kutaḥ saukhyaṃ hi yauvane

Translation

യൗവനത്തിൽ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ അശാന്തമായി പെരുമാറുകയും, കാമരാഗത്തിന്റെ പീഡനം വേദനിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ആസക്തിയാൽ നിരന്തരം കലങ്ങുന്നവന് യൗവനത്തിൽ സുഖം എവിടെ?

Word by Word

• pramatta-indriya-vṛttaiḥ: by the uncontrolled activities of the senses
• pramatta-indriya-vṛttaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramatta (कृदन्त; प्र + √mad (धातु), क्त) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (वृत्ति), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; प्रमत्तानाम् इन्द्रियाणां वृत्तिभिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• kāma-rāga-prapīḍanāt: from the torment of desire and passion
• kāma-rāga-prapīḍanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + prapīḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कामस्य रागस्य च प्रपीडनात् (समाहार-निर्देश; हेत्वर्थे)

• rāga-udvṛttasya: of one disturbed by passion
• rāga-udvṛttasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + udvṛtta (कृदन्त; उद् + √vṛt (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; रागेण उद्वृत्तः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः (genitive: “of one agitated by passion”)

• satataṃ: constantly
• satataṃ: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satatam (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “always/constantly”)

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: “whence/how”)

• saukhyam: happiness
• saukhyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: “indeed/for”)

• yauvane: in youth
• yauvane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man surrounded by alluring sense-objects (music, perfume, wine, flirtation) while his mind appears as a storm; in contrast, a calm ascetic/devotee silhouette or liṅga/Skanda emblem offers a still center.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained senses and passion make youth restless; happiness requires mastery over desire and cultivation of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is ethical and psychological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes inner discipline rather than external ritual.