Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तस्मात्स्नेहं न लिप्सेन मित्रेभ्यो धनसंचयात् । स्वशरीरसमुत्थं च ज्ञानेन विनिर्वतयेत्

Transliteration

tasmātsnehaṃ na lipsena mitrebhyo dhanasaṃcayāt | svaśarīrasamutthaṃ ca jñānena vinirvatayet

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സുഹൃത്തുകളിൽ നിന്നായാലും ധനസഞ്ചയത്തിൽ നിന്നായാലും സ്നേഹാസക്തി ആഗ്രഹിക്കരുത്. സ്വന്തം ശരീരത്തിൽ നിന്നുയരുന്ന ബന്ധനദുഃഖം ജ്ഞാനത്താൽ നീക്കണം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति निपातवत्—हेतौ/तस्मादर्थे (therefore)

• स्नेहम्: attachment
• स्नेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of ‘लिप्सेत्/लिप्सेन’ sense

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• लिप्सेत्: should desire/seek
• लिप्सेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिप्स्/√लभ् (धातु; desiderative stem लिप्स-)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; desiderative ‘should desire/seek’

• मित्रेभ्यः: from friends
• मित्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; here Ablative ‘from friends’

• धनसंचयात्: from accumulation of wealth
• धनसंचयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धनस्य संचयः)

• स्वशरीरसमुत्थम्: arising from one’s own body
• स्वशरीरसमुत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + समुत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वशरीरात् समुत्थम्) qualifying an implied ‘स्नेहम्/दोषम्’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ज्ञानेन: by knowledge
• ज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by knowledge’

• विनिर्वतयेत्: should eliminate/bring to an end
• विनिर्वतयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत्/√वर्त् (धातु) + वि + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative/denominative sense ‘should remove/bring to cessation’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker cutting two cords labeled ‘mitra-sneha’ and ‘dhana-saṃcaya’; a third shadow labeled ‘deha-ja bandha’ dissolves under a lamp labeled ‘jñāna’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not cultivate clinging through relationships or wealth; let knowledge dissolve the bondage that arises through embodied life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a general mokṣa-oriented instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes inner discipline—non-craving and jñāna.