Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अहंकारं च संसेव्य सात्त्विकीं सिद्धिमश्नुते । राजसास्तामसाश्चैव त्याज्याः कामादयस्त्वमी

Transliteration

ahaṃkāraṃ ca saṃsevya sāttvikīṃ siddhimaśnute | rājasāstāmasāścaiva tyājyāḥ kāmādayastvamī

Translation

സാത്ത്വികമായ അഹങ്കാരത്തെ സേവിക്കുന്നവൻ സാത്ത്വിക സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ രജസ്-തമസ് ജന്യമായ കാമാദി വാസനകൾ നീ നിർബന്ധമായി ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अहंकारम्: ego, self-conceit
• अहंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—अहम् + कार (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

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

• संसेव्य: having served, by resorting to
• संसेव्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; धातुः—सेव् (भ्वादि), उपसर्गः—सम्; अर्थः—सेवित्वा/उपास्य

• सात्त्विकीम्: sattvic
• सात्त्विकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सिद्धिम्)

• सिद्धिम्: attainment, perfection
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्नुते: attains
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातुः—अश् (स्वादि)

• राजसाः: rajasic
• राजसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कामादयः)

• तामसाः: tamasic
• तामसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कामादयः)

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्याज्याः: to be abandoned
• त्याज्याः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्याज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (कामादयः)

• कामादयः: desire and the like
• कामादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कामः + आदयः (अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘kāma and the rest’)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Apposition (Anvaya/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic or devotee sits before a liṅga, with three streams or colors symbolizing the guṇas; the sāttvika stream rises upward while rājasa/tāmasa impulses (desire, anger, sloth) are shown being cast away.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not every ‘ego’ is the same: refine the sense of self into sattva and renounce desire-driven rajasic-tamasic habits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is about inner renunciation and cultivation of sattva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it prescribes ethical renunciation (tyāga) of kāma and allied impulses.