Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

परस्परं दूषयंतो ह्यतत्त्वज्ञा बहिर्मुखाः । तस्मादेवं विदित्वाथ असत्यं गुणभेदतः

Transliteration

parasparaṃ dūṣayaṃto hyatattvajñā bahirmukhāḥ | tasmādevaṃ viditvātha asatyaṃ guṇabhedataḥ

Translation

അതത്ത്വജ്ഞരും ബഹിർമുഖരുമായവർ പരസ്പരം ഒരാളെയൊരാൾ ദൂഷിച്ചു നിന്ദിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഇങ്ങനെ അറിഞ്ഞുകൊൾക: ഗുണഭേദം മൂലം ‘സത്യം’ എന്നു തോന്നുന്നതു പരമസത്യമല്ല.

Word by Word

• परस्परम्: mutually; one another
• परस्परम्: Karma/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• दूषयन्तः: defiling; blaming
• दूषयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी—‘दूषयन्तः’ = ‘दूषयन्ति’ (they defile)

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

• अतत्त्वज्ञाः: ignorant of truth
• अतत्त्वज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-तत्त्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• बहिर्मुखाः: outward-facing; extroverted
• बहिर्मुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; बहिः + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘बहिर्दृष्टयः’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablative used adverbially): ‘therefore/from that’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विदित्वा: having known
• विदित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विद् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having known’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक निपात (then/now)

• असत्यम्: untruth; falsehood
• असत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-सत्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• गुणभेदतः: due to differences of guṇas
• गुणभेदतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गुण-भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘भेदात्’ = ‘due to distinction’; ‘गुणानां भेदात्’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two groups of people arguing and pointing at each other, their speech depicted as sharp arrows; behind them, a sage indicates three colored streams (sattva/rajas/tamas) showing how ‘truth-claims’ split by guṇas; the Kedāra shrine stands as silent witness.

Characters & Entities

• Guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outward fixation breeds quarrel; guṇa-conditioned perceptions are relative and cannot reveal the ultimate Reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedarnath) is the broader sacred frame where such non-dual, guṇa-transcending insight is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it prescribes discernment—turning inward from guṇa-based appearances.