Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

परिहार्यः य चेत्तं च विनोन्मत्तः प्रकीर्यते । कामोऽभिलाष इत्युक्तः सं चेत्पुंसा विवर्ज्यते

Transliteration

parihāryaḥ ya cettaṃ ca vinonmattaḥ prakīryate | kāmo'bhilāṣa ityuktaḥ saṃ cetpuṃsā vivarjyate

Translation

ഏത് മാനസിക പ്രേരണ ഉണർന്ന് ചിത്തത്തെ അശാന്തമാക്കി മനസ്സിനെ ഇങ്ങും അങ്ങും ചിതറിക്കളയുന്നുവോ, അത് പരിത്യാജ്യം. അതിനെ ‘കാമം’ അഥവാ അഭിലാഷം എന്നു പറയുന്നു; ശ്രേയസ് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ അതിനെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• परिहार्यः: to be avoided
• परिहार्यः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृत्) + परि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (ण्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘त्याज्यः/वर्जनीयः’ (to be avoided)

• यः: which / he who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• विनोन्मत्तः: utterly maddened
• विनोन्मत्तः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विन (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विन’ = विशेषणार्थक-निपात (intensifier/without restraint)

• प्रकीर्यते: is scattered / is spread
• प्रकीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॄ (धातु) / कीर् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि भावः—‘is scattered/is poured forth’

• कामः: desire
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिलाषः: longing
• अभिलाषः: Pradhana-visheshana (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि- (उपसर्ग) + लष्/लष् (धातु) → अभिलाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय

• उक्तः: is called
• उक्तः: Kriya (Copular predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘is said/called’

• सः: that (desire)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• पुंसा: by a man
• पुंसा: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवर्ज्यते: is renounced
• विवर्ज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि—‘is avoided/renounced’

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests a dialogue; likely a narrator/teacher voice before 'Bāla uvāca' in v.53)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Youthful teacher (Kaumāra/Skanda-figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mind portrayed as a lake; a gust labeled ‘kāma’ ripples and scatters lotus petals; the seeker builds a protective embankment of japa and discipline, restoring stillness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire (kāma) is a mind-scattering force; renouncing it supports inner steadiness and dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it focuses on inner discipline rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the instruction is ethical-psychological: avoid and renounce craving.