Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकामामोक्षाश्च चत्वारो ह्येकरूपताम् । नीतायेन महादेव स कामोऽयं न हन्यते

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmāmokṣāśca catvāro hyekarūpatām | nītāyena mahādeva sa kāmo'yaṃ na hanyate

Translation

ധർമ്മം, അർത്ഥം, കാമം, മോക്ഷം—ഈ നാലിനെയും നിങ്ങൾ, ഹേ മഹാദേവാ, ഏകതയിൽ ഒരേ രൂപത്തിലാക്കി; അതിനാൽ ഈ കാമനെ വധിക്കാനാവില്ല.

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकामामोक्षाः: dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकामामोक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चारः पुरुषार्थाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

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

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• एकरूपताम्: oneness of form
• एकरूपताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + रूपता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (एकं रूपं यस्याः सा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• नीताः: have been led/brought
• नीताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; (धर्मादयः)

• येन: by which/whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् देवः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कामः: desire (Kāma)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण/निर्देशक

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• हन्यते: is destroyed
• हन्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि-प्रयोग, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Maharṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: Śiva as Mahādeva depicted as the axis uniting the four puruṣārthas into one path; symbolic emblems for each aim converge toward Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa (Puruṣārthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human goals are interconnected; desire cannot be treated as isolated—spiritual life requires integrating and purifying motivations under dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within the Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra/Kedarnath milieu), though the verse focuses on the puruṣārtha framework rather than a location’s merits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it frames a doctrinal point about integrating the puruṣārthas.