Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

अमी च देवाः सर्वत्र श्रौते मार्गे प्रतिष्ठिताः । पाषण्डशास्त्रे सर्वत्र निषिद्धाः पापकर्मभिः

Transliteration

amī ca devāḥ sarvatra śraute mārge pratiṣṭhitāḥ | pāṣaṇḍaśāstre sarvatra niṣiddhāḥ pāpakarmabhiḥ

Translation

ਇਹ ਦੇਵਤਾ ਹਰ ਥਾਂ ਸ਼੍ਰੌਤ (ਵੈਦਿਕ) ਮਾਰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਸ਼ਠਿਤ ਹਨ; ਪਰ ਪਾਖੰਡ-ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾਪਕਰਮਾਂ ਕਰਕੇ ਹਰ ਥਾਂ ਨਿਸ਼ਿਧ ਤੇ ਤਿਆਗੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• amī: these (those)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• śraute: in the śrauta (Vedic)
• śraute: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrauta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) / अथवा विशेषणरूपेण, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रुति-सम्बन्धि’ (Vedic/śrauta)

• mārge: path
• mārge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: are established
• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle, kta), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); अर्थे—स्थिताः/प्रतिष्ठिताः (established)

• pāṣaṇḍaśāstre: in the pāṣaṇḍa-text/heterodox treatise
• pāṣaṇḍaśāstre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣaṇḍa + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘पाषण्डानां शास्त्रम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• niṣiddhāḥ: are forbidden
• niṣiddhāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√sidh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past participle, kta), पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pāpakarmabhiḥ: by sinful acts
• pāpakarmabhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: ‘पापं कर्म’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a teacher points to a Vedic altar and assembled devas, while shadowy figures representing pāṣaṇḍa doctrines turn away; the contrast is moral and luminous vs. obscured.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śrauta (Vedic) path

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Vedic path sustains deva-reverence, while sinful, deviant systems reject it—so one should adhere to dharmic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named; the verse addresses religious authority and correct practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit endorsement of the śrauta/Vedic mode of worship in which the devas are honored.