Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पुनः पातो यतः पुंसस्तस्मात्स्वर्गं न कामये । सति पुण्ये स्वयं तेन पातितो निजलोकतः

Transliteration

punaḥ pāto yataḥ puṃsastasmātsvargaṃ na kāmaye | sati puṇye svayaṃ tena pātito nijalokataḥ

Translation

మనిషికి మళ్లీ పతనం తప్పదు కాబట్టి నేను స్వర్గాన్ని కోరను. పుణ్యం ఉన్నప్పటికీ, అది క్షయించినప్పుడు అతడు తన లోకంనుండే పడద్రోసబడతాడు.

Word by Word

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Repetition/पुनरावृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक

• pātaḥ: fall
• pātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yataḥ: since/because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (causal ‘since/because’)

• puṃsaḥ: of a man
• puṃsaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे/अपादानार्थे (therefore)

• svargam: heaven
• svargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• kāmaye: I desire
• kāmaye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sati: when (it) exists/while there is
• sati: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle) सप्तमी-एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• puṇye: (one's) merit (being present)
• puṇye: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (सति ... puṇye) लोकाभ्यस्त-सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः

• svayam: by oneself
• svayam: Sambandha (Emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वार्थक (reflexive adverb ‘oneself’)

• tena: by that (merit)
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• pātitaḥ: is made to fall / cast down
• pātitaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त धातु (pātayati) से क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nija-lokataḥ: from one's own world
• nija-lokataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘one’s own’ + ‘world’)

Speaker

Indradyumna (king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarga (as contrasted realm)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indradyumna states the law of merit-exhaustion: even while merit lasts, once it ends one falls from one’s world; the imagery can show a celestial figure descending as a metaphor, while the king points toward a steadier Śiva-path.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Svarga
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit yields results but is finite; lasting refuge is sought beyond merit-based heavens, aligning with the Purāṇic push toward higher liberation and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it underscores the limitation of puṇya-based attainments.