Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

न व्याधिमरके देशे शपथान्कोशमेव च । दिव्यान्यासुरकैर्मंत्रैः स्तंभयंतीह केचन

Transliteration

na vyādhimarake deśe śapathānkośameva ca | divyānyāsurakairmaṃtraiḥ staṃbhayaṃtīha kecana

Translation

நோயும் மரணமும் தாக்கிய நாட்டில் சபதங்களையும் கோஷப் பரீட்சை (திவ்யச் சோதனை)யையும் நடத்தக் கூடாது; ஏனெனில் இங்கு சிலர் ஆசுர மந்திரங்களால் அந்த திவ்யச் சோதனைகளைத் தடை செய்து நிலைநிறுத்திவிடுகின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• vyādhi-marake: in (a place) of disease and death
• vyādhi-marake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + maraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (व्याधिः च मरकः च) — locative qualifier

• deśe: in the region
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• śapathān: oaths
• śapathān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śapatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• kośam: treasury
• kośam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

• divyān: divine
• divyān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रान्)

• āsurakaiḥ: demonic/asuric
• āsurakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsuraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रैः)

• maṃtraiḥ: by mantras
• maṃtraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• staṃbhayanti: they paralyze/stop
• staṃbhayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stambh (स्तम्भ्)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; causative sense in usage (स्तम्भयति = to paralyze/stop)

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

• kecana: some (people)
• kecana: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A plague-struck city with funeral smoke and anxious citizens; in the royal court, a ‘divya’ ordeal setup (fire/water/scale) is being subtly disrupted by a dark-robed sorcerer chanting; the king and dharma-ministers look alarmed, restraining the rite.

Characters & Entities

• āsuraka (demonic forces)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Justice and governance must be safeguarded from manipulation; in unstable times, unreliable ordeals should be avoided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is praised; the verse concerns political-ethical caution in a troubled region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoiding certain oath-based or treasury-based ordeals in a calamity-stricken land due to the risk of mantra-based interference.