Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

विषमारणयंत्राणां प्रोयगो मूलकर्मणाम् । उच्चाटनाभिचाराश्च रागविद्वेषणक्रिया

Transliteration

viṣamāraṇayaṃtrāṇāṃ proyago mūlakarmaṇām | uccāṭanābhicārāśca rāgavidveṣaṇakriyā

Translation

विष देऊन मारणाऱ्या यंत्रांचा प्रयोग, मूलकर्म (औषधी-मूळाधारित टोण्या) करणे, उच्चाटन व अभिचार, तसेच राग किंवा द्वेष वाढविणाऱ्या क्रिया—ही सर्व निंद्य मानली आहेत.

Word by Word

• viṣa: poison
• viṣa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• māraṇa: killing, causing death
• māraṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māraṇa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √mṛ (धातु) + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• yaṃtrāṇām: of poison-and-killing devices/contrivances
• yaṃtrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विषमारणयोः यन्त्राणि (तत्पुरुष; बहुपदसमास)

• prayogaḥ: application, practice
• prayogaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mūla: root, fundamental
• mūla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/विशेषण, (समासपूर्वपद)

• karmaṇām: of root-rites/primary acts
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; मूलकर्मणि (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव)

• uccāṭana: driving away, expulsion
• uccāṭana: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccāṭana (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √caṭ/caṭṭ (धातु) + ut + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• abhicārāḥ: (acts of) expulsion and sorcery
• abhicārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhicāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उच्चाटनाभिचाराः = उच्चाटनम् + अभिचाराः (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• rāga: attachment, passion
• rāga: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• vidveṣaṇa: causing hatred, enmity-making
• vidveṣaṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidveṣaṇa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dviṣ (धातु) + वि + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• kriyā: rite/action (to produce passion and hatred)
• kriyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; रागविद्वेषणयोः क्रिया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; बहुपदसमास)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective Śaiva/Kaumāra atmosphere: a sage extinguishes a dark ritual circle; broken poison-vials and discarded yantras lie aside; the pilgrim turns toward a lit shrine, symbolizing conversion from abhicāra to śānti.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rejects harm-driven occultism; spiritual power must not be used for violence, coercion, or manipulation of others’ minds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions as a prohibition list.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions forbidden/condemned rites—uccāṭana and abhicāra—rather than recommending approved rituals.