Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

आबद्धानि स्नेहपाशैर्मृत्युः सर्वाणि कृंतति । किं न पश्यसि मातस्त्वं सहस्रस्यापि मध्यतः

Transliteration

ābaddhāni snehapāśairmṛtyuḥ sarvāṇi kṛṃtati | kiṃ na paśyasi mātastvaṃ sahasrasyāpi madhyataḥ

Translation

ସ୍ନେହପାଶରେ ବନ୍ଧା ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ କାଟିଦିଏ। ହେ ମାତା! ସହସ୍ରଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଥାଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁମେ ଏହା କାହିଁକି ଦେଖୁନାହ?

Word by Word

• ābaddhāni: bound
• ābaddhāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-bandh (आ + बन्ध्, धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'bound/fastened'

• sneha-pāśaiḥ: by the bonds of affection
• sneha-pāśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sneha (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (snehasya pāśaḥ = 'bond/rope of affection')

• mṛtyuḥ: death
• mṛtyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvāṇi: all
• sarvāṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्व-शब्दः (qualifying ābaddhāni)

• kṛṃtati: cuts down/severs
• kṛṃtati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛt (कृत्/कृन्त्, धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• paśyasi: do you see
• paśyasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: लट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mātaḥ: O mother
• mātaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (मातृ, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sahasrasya: of a thousand
• sahasrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• madhyataḥ: from among (the midst)
• madhyataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'from the middle/among'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mother (addressed as ‘mātā’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Death personified as a sharp blade cutting multiple ropes tied to people’s hearts; a mother figure stands amid a bustling crowd, urged to ‘see’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment binds the mind, but death severs all bonds; therefore one should awaken to impermanence and seek enduring spiritual refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular Tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an admonition to perceive reality and loosen attachment.