Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

समुद्रमटवीं युद्धं विशंते लोभमोहिताः । लोभादि कार्यमत्युग्रं कुर्वंति त्याज्य एव सः

Transliteration

samudramaṭavīṃ yuddhaṃ viśaṃte lobhamohitāḥ | lobhādi kāryamatyugraṃ kurvaṃti tyājya eva saḥ

Translation

பேராசையால் மயங்கியவர்கள் கடல், காட்டுவனம், போர்க்களம் ஆகியவற்றிலும் புகுகின்றனர். பேராசை முதலியவற்றால் தொடங்கி மிகக் கடுமையான செயல்களைச் செய்பவன் நிச்சயமாக விலக்கத்தக்கவன்.

Word by Word

• samudram: the ocean
• samudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• aṭavīm: a forest
• aṭavīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• yuddham: battle/war
• yuddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• viśante: they enter
• viśante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (विश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• lobha-mohitāḥ: deluded by greed
• lobha-mohitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक) + mohita (√muh धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोभेन मोहिताः); क्त-कृदन्त-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• lobhādi: greed and the like
• lobhādi: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोभः आदिः यस्य/लोभादयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (as qualifier of kāryam)

• kāryam: an act/deed
• kāryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (√kṛ धातु + यत्)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive used as noun: 'that which is to be done'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ati-ugram: exceedingly fierce
• ati-ugram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (अत्युग्रम् = अतिशयेन उग्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of kāryam)

• kurvanti: they do
• kurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tyājyaḥ: to be abandoned
• tyājyaḥ: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज् धातु) + ya (यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: त्याज्य (gerundive: 'to be abandoned'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of saḥ)

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

• saḥ: that/it
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun)

Speaker

Mother (unnamed, within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (coastal frame) / Arbuda (forest frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Putraka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like scene: a greedy man boarding a stormy sea-vessel, another plunging into a dark forest, another rushing into battle—each driven by a single red thread of greed; the wise child turns away from such company.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed clouds discernment and drives people into needless danger; avoid those whose actions are powered by such impulses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is directly mentioned; the verse is nīti (ethical guidance) within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it advises discernment about motives and associations.