Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

बाल्ययौवनवार्धक्यमहाभीमांधकूपके । क्रोधेर्ष्या लोभवह्नौ च विषयक्रूरपर्वते

Transliteration

bālyayauvanavārdhakyamahābhīmāṃdhakūpake | krodherṣyā lobhavahnau ca viṣayakrūraparvate

Translation

बाल्य-यौवन-वार्धक्य-ಮಹಾಭೀಮ-અંધકूपे, क्रोध-ईर्ष्या-लोभ-वह्निषु च, विषय-क्रूर-पर्वते च—अहं बद्धोऽस्मि।

Word by Word

• बाल्य-यौवन-वार्धक्य-महा-भीम-अन्ध-कूपके: in the great, terrifying blind well of childhood, youth, and old age
• बाल्य-यौवन-वार्धक्य-महा-भीम-अन्ध-कूपके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक) + वार्धक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भीम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समास-समूहः—(बाल्य-यौवन-वार्धक्य) तत्पुरुषः + (महा-भीम) कर्मधारयः + (अन्ध-कूपक) कर्मधारयः; समस्तपदम् सप्तम्यन्तम्

• क्रोध-ईर्ष्या: anger and jealousy
• क्रोध-ईर्ष्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (ईर्ष्या-प्रधान), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—क्रोधश्च ईर्ष्या च

• लोभ-वह्नौ: in the fire of greed
• लोभ-वह्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—लोभस्य वह्निः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• विषय-क्रूर-पर्वते: on the cruel mountain of sense-objects
• विषय-क्रूर-पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—विषयः क्रूरः पर्वतः (विषयैः क्रूरः इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara/Setu-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śambhu (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deep, dark well labeled by the three life-stages; flames rise as anger, jealousy, and greed; a jagged mountain of glittering sense-objects looms, while a clear luminous road points toward a coastal Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra
• Viṣaya (sense-objects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life-stages and passions can become bondage; liberation requires turning from viṣayas and seeking divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prayer belongs to the Setu–Rāmeśvara context, where Śiva as Rāmeśvara grants relief from worldly bondage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse deepens dispassion (vairāgya) and prepares for worshipful surrender.