Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कस्मात्तदेषा चेष्टा ते संदेहं मे हर द्विज । संदेहान्न सुखं शेते बाणविद्धो मृगो यथा

Transliteration

kasmāttadeṣā ceṣṭā te saṃdehaṃ me hara dvija | saṃdehānna sukhaṃ śete bāṇaviddho mṛgo yathā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ നിന്റെ ഈ പ്രവർത്തനം എന്തുകൊണ്ട്? ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, എന്റെ സംശയം നീക്കുക; സംശയത്തിൽ ഒരാൾക്ക് സുഖമായി ഉറങ്ങാൻ കഴിയില്ല—അമ്പേറ്റ് കുത്തേറ്റ മാൻപോലെ.

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apādāna (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतु (cause)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययवत् (correlative)

• एषा: this (she/this)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चेष्टा: activity, conduct
• चेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: of you, your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• संदेहम्: doubt
• संदेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative enclitic)

• हर: remove
• हर: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• संदेहात्: from doubt
• संदेहात्: Apādāna (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतु/कारण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सुखम्: comfortably, with ease
• सुखम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverbial accusative)

• शेते: lies down, rests
• शेते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• बाणविद्धः: pierced by an arrow
• बाणविद्धः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (बाणेन विद्धः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (मृगः)

• मृगः: a deer
• मृगः: Upameya (Object compared/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमेय

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative conjunction)

Speaker

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker addresses a learned dvija with folded hands; behind him, a symbolic deer with an arrow stands for the mind wounded by doubt; the teacher’s calm gaze promises resolution.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual progress requires clarity; doubt is painful and must be resolved through proper instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is a request for explanation rather than a tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes inquiry and seeking clarification from a qualified person.