Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एकदा तु महापापात्कैतावाच्च जितं धनम् । गणिकार्थे च पुष्पाणि तांबूलं चंदनं तथा

Transliteration

ekadā tu mahāpāpātkaitāvācca jitaṃ dhanam | gaṇikārthe ca puṣpāṇi tāṃbūlaṃ caṃdanaṃ tathā

Translation

ഒരിക്കൽ മഹാപാപവും വഞ്ചനയും ചെയ്ത് അവൻ ധനം നേടി; ഗണികയ്ക്കായി പുഷ്പങ്ങൾ, താംബൂലം, ചന്ദനവും കൊണ്ടുവന്നു.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपातः (but/and)

• महापापात्: from the great sinner
• महापापात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (ablative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• कैतवात्: from the cheat/gambler
• कैतवात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैतव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (ablative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• जितम्: won/obtained
• जितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; धनम्-विशेषणम्

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (nom./acc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

• गणिकार्थे: for the courtesan's sake
• गणिकार्थे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणिका + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• ताम्बूलम्: betel (leaf/chew)
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• चन्दनम्: sandalwood
• चन्दनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (thus/also)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gambler clutching coins won by cheating, purchasing flowers, betel, and sandalwood at a market stall, heading toward a courtesan’s house—sensual colors and crowded street energy.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇikā (courtesan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth gained by deceit and spent for vice strengthens moral decline and karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode forms part of Kedārakhaṇḍa’s dharma-teaching connected to Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates misdirected spending (flowers, betel, sandal) for sensual ends.