Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

मूलघातिषु सज्जंते बुद्धिमंतो भवद्विधाः । अष्टांगां बुद्धिमाहुर्यां सर्वाश्रेयोविघातिनीम

Transliteration

mūlaghātiṣu sajjaṃte buddhimaṃto bhavadvidhāḥ | aṣṭāṃgāṃ buddhimāhuryāṃ sarvāśreyovighātinīma

Translation

നിങ്ങളുപോലെയുള്ള ബുദ്ധിമാന്മാർ ദുഃഖത്തിന്റെ മൂലത്തെ തന്നെ പ്രഹരിക്കുവാൻ ഏർപ്പെടുന്നു. അവർ അഷ്ടാംഗ ബുദ്ധിയെ പറയുന്നു; അത് എല്ലാ ശ്രേയസ്സിനെയും വിഘ്നങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് കാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मूलघातिषु: among root-destroying (things/acts)
• मूलघातिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल-घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: मूल + घातिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (मूलं घातयति इति = root-destroyer); अधिकरणे (among/in root-destroyers)

• सज्जन्ते: become attached
• सज्जन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; अर्थे—आसक्ताः भवन्ति (become attached)

• बुद्धिमन्तः: intelligent people
• बुद्धिमन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि-मत् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: बुद्धि + मत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing intellect)

• भवत्-विधाः: people like you
• भवत्-विधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्-विध (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: भवत् + विध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (भवतः विधाः = people like you)

• अष्टाङ्गाम्: eightfold
• अष्टाङ्गाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: अष्ट + अङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट अङ्गानि यस्याः = eight-limbed); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘बुद्धिम्’)

• बुद्धिम्: intellect, understanding
• बुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थे—‘कथयन्ति’ (they say)

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (which)

• सर्वाश्रेयोविघातिनीम्: destroying all welfare
• सर्वाश्रेयोविघातिनीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-श्रेयस्-विघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सर्व + श्रेयस् + विघातिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सर्वस्य श्रेयसः विघातिनी = destroyer of all welfare); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘बुद्धिम्’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa (deductive attribution)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points to a tree of suffering: branches labeled ‘fear, grief, anger’; the wise disciple strikes the root labeled ‘avidyā’. Around them, eight symbolic emblems (lamp, scripture, rosary, scales, lotus, staff, mirror, trident) represent ‘aṣṭāṅgā buddhi’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A wise person seeks root-cause solutions (not temporary fixes), guided by disciplined, multi-faceted discernment (aṣṭāṅgā buddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred place is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it points to an inner discipline—systematic discernment that prevents the collapse of one’s welfare.