Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

इति चिंतयतो मह्यं शून्यताभूद्धि नारद । निद्रार्तश्च भयार्तश्च कामार्तः शोकपीडितः

Transliteration

iti ciṃtayato mahyaṃ śūnyatābhūddhi nārada | nidrārtaśca bhayārtaśca kāmārtaḥ śokapīḍitaḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ചിന്തിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഹേ നാരദാ, എനിക്കുള്ളിൽ ശൂന്യത പടർന്നു. നിദ്ര, ഭയം, കാമം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശോകം കൊണ്ട് പീഡിതൻ ശൂന്യനായി തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थे (quotative particle: “thus”)

• चिन्तयतः: (while) thinking
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा? (not applicable); मध्यम/उत्तम? (not applicable); वर्तमानकाले; कृदन्त-रूपवत्: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तस्य षष्ठी/सप्तमी?; वस्तुतः: ‘चिन्तयत्’ (present participle) + षष्ठी एकवचन/सप्तमी एकवचन; here: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular) “of (me) thinking”

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (to/for me)

• शून्यता: emptiness, blankness
• शून्यता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• निद्रार्तः: afflicted by sleep
• निद्रार्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध: “sleep-afflicted”); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भयार्तः: afflicted by fear
• भयार्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• कामार्तः: afflicted by desire
• कामार्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शोकपीडितः: tormented by grief
• शोकपीडितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पीड् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘पीडित’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) from पीड्; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Hārīta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator confides to Nārada: his mind turns vacant under waves of sleepiness, fear, desire, and grief; the scene is inward, with Nārada listening in calm compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mental clarity is lost when one is overpowered by sleep, fear, desire, or grief; dharma requires steadiness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; it is an analysis of inner states.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it identifies conditions that produce śūnyatā (loss of presence/clarity).