Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

शुक्त्यां रजतबुद्धिश्च रज्जुबुद्धिर्यर्थोरणे । मरीचौ जलबुद्धिश्च मिथ्या मिथ्यैव नान्यथा

Transliteration

śuktyāṃ rajatabuddhiśca rajjubuddhiryarthoraṇe | marīcau jalabuddhiśca mithyā mithyaiva nānyathā

Translation

ശുക്തിയിൽ വെള്ളിയെന്ന ഭ്രമം, കയറിൽ പാമ്പെന്ന ഭ്രമം, മരീചികയിൽ ജലഭ്രമം—ഇവയൊക്കെയും മിഥ്യ; മിഥ്യ മാത്രമേ, മറ്റൊന്നുമല്ല।

Word by Word

• शुक्त्याम्: in a shell (mother-of-pearl)
• शुक्त्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• रजत-बुद्धिः: the notion of silver
• रजत-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रजतस्य बुद्धिः)

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

• रज्जु-बुद्धिः: the notion of a rope
• रज्जु-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रज्जु (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रज्जोः बुद्धिः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• उरणे: in a ram (sheep)
• उरणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मरीचौ: in a mirage
• मरीचौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (वैकल्पिकरूपेण पुंलिङ्गेऽपि)

• जल-बुद्धिः: the notion of water
• जल-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य बुद्धिः)

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

• मिथ्या: false(ly)
• मिथ्या: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: falsely)

• मिथ्या: false(ly)
• मिथ्या: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan hermitage near Kedāra: a teacher points to a rope on the ground mistaken as a snake; nearby a shell glints like silver; in the distance a mirage shimmers—symbolizing false cognition dissolving into clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly misperceptions are like classic illusions; liberation requires discriminating the real from the falsely superimposed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kedāra Khaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting, but it is a general teaching on illusion rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes discernment (viveka) rather than a ritual act.