Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

तेषा मदत्त्वा चाश्रंति चिकित्संति न रोगिणः । अजाविको माहिषिकः समुद्री वृषलीपतिः

Transliteration

teṣā madattvā cāśraṃti cikitsaṃti na rogiṇaḥ | ajāviko māhiṣikaḥ samudrī vṛṣalīpatiḥ

Translation

వారు మద్యపానంతో మత్తెక్కి విలపిస్తారు; రోగులకు చికిత్స చేయరు. మేక‑గొర్రెల కాపరి, గేదె‑మహిషాల కాపరి, సముద్రయాత్రికుడు, శూద్రస్త్రీ భర్త—ఇవి ఇక్కడ పతితాచార లక్షణాలుగా చెప్పబడ్డాయి.

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• madaṃ: intoxication, pride
• madaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• āśranti: they toil, they become weary
• āśranti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śram (श्रम् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• cikitsanti: they treat (medically)
• cikitsanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cikits (चिकित्स् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• rogiṇaḥ: the sick persons
• rogiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ajāvikaḥ: goat/sheep-herder (one dealing with goats and sheep)
• ajāvikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajā + avika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्वसमास (copulative) ‘goat-and-sheep (related)’

• māhiṣikaḥ: buffalo-herder / buffalo-related person
• māhiṣikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhiṣika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• samudrī: seafarer, one connected with the sea
• samudrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vṛṣalīpatiḥ: husband of a śūdra-woman / low-caste woman
• vṛṣalīpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣalī + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘vṛṣalīyāḥ patiḥ’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim village/market tableau: men drinking to stupor and wailing; a sick person unattended; figures representing marginal or exploitative livelihoods shown as symbols of social inversion; a distant temple silhouette suggesting the lost axis of dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intoxication and negligence toward the suffering are censured; dharma values sobriety, responsibility, and care for the ill.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse criticizes behaviors and depicts social markers within the text’s ethical listing.