Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

उपायं नात्र पश्यामि पूजोपकरणे हते । न गुरोश्च विहन्येत शासनं सकलार्थदम्

Transliteration

upāyaṃ nātra paśyāmi pūjopakaraṇe hate | na gurośca vihanyeta śāsanaṃ sakalārthadam

Translation

“ਪੂਜਾ ਦੇ ਸਾਮਾਨ ਨਸ਼ਟ ਹੋ ਗਏ ਹਨ, ਇੱਥੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਉਪਾਅ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦਾ। ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਹੁਕਮ—ਜੋ ਸਭ ਅਰਥ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਦਾ ਹੈ—ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ।”

Word by Word

• upāyam: a means; remedy
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/in this matter)

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pūjopakaraṇe: in the worship materials
• pūjopakaraṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā + upakaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pūjāyāḥ upakaraṇe = in the worship-materials)

• hate: being destroyed
• hate: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han (हन्))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त/क्त (destroyed/ruined) — agreeing with 'pūjopakaraṇe'

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

• guroḥ: of the guru
• guroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (of the guru)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• vihanyeta: should not be violated
• vihanyeta: Kriya (Prohibition/विधि-निषेध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्) with vi-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (should not be violated/destroyed)

• śāsanam: instruction; command
• śāsanam: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sakalārthadam: granting all purposes/benefits
• sakalārthadam: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala + artha + da (प्रातिपदिक; da from √dā (दा) as adjectival)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (sakalān arthān dadāti iti = giving all aims/benefits) — qualifying 'śāsanam'

Speaker

Śabara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee stands near the unused worship tray, empty or incomplete; his gaze is fixed, torn between inability and duty, as if hearing the guru’s command echoing in his mind.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śabara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is guided by discipline: honoring the guru’s instruction and seeking a dharmic solution when ritual resources fail.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not to transgress the guru’s śāsana regarding worship; maintaining pūjā discipline is implied.