Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

रूपे गंधे रसे बाह्ये तादृशस्य तु का कथा । दृष्ट्वा य आत्मनात्मानं समाधिं लभते पुनः

Transliteration

rūpe gaṃdhe rase bāhye tādṛśasya tu kā kathā | dṛṣṭvā ya ātmanātmānaṃ samādhiṃ labhate punaḥ

Translation

ଯେତେବେଳେ ସେ ବାହ୍ୟ ସ୍ପର୍ଶରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅପ୍ରଭାବିତ, ତେବେ ବାହ୍ୟ ରୂପ, ଗନ୍ଧ ଓ ରସ ବିଷୟରେ କ’ଣ କହିବା! ଯେ ଆତ୍ମାଦ୍ୱାରା ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ଦେଖି ପୁନଃ ସମାଧିକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରେ।

Word by Word

• rūpe: in form
• rūpe: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• gandhe: in smell
• gandhe: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• rase: in taste
• rase: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• bāhye: externally
• bāhye: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; विशेषण used adverbially — 'externally'

• tādṛśasya: of such a person
• tādṛśasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; विशेषण — 'of such a one'

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle) — contrast/emphasis

• kā: what
• kā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; interrogative pronoun — 'what?'

• kathā: talk/mention
• kathā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (Gerundial subordinate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛṣṭvā (कृदन्त; √dṛś (धातु), त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (त्वान्त) — 'having seen'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; relative pronoun — 'who'

• ātmanā: by the self
• ātmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• ātmānam: the self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• samādhim: samādhi
• samādhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• labhate: attains
• labhate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla/Prakāra-avyaya (adverb) — 'again/further'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin’s inner vision: within his heart-lotus, a luminous Self reflected in the Self—like a lamp lighting itself; external sense-objects (forms, fragrances, tastes) appear as faint, dissolving motifs at the margins.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sense-objects lose their power when Self-knowledge dawns; inner realization naturally culminates in samādhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it teaches universal yoga-dharma within the Purāṇic frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is mentioned; the practice implied is inward contemplation leading to samādhi.