Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

स्रोतांसि यस्य सततं प्रस्रवंति गिरेरिव । कफमूत्रादिकान्यस्य कृते देहस्य मुह्यति

Transliteration

srotāṃsi yasya satataṃ prasravaṃti gireriva | kaphamūtrādikānyasya kṛte dehasya muhyati

Translation

ఎవరి దేహస్రోతస్సులు పర్వతజలధారలవలె నిరంతరం ప్రవహిస్తాయో, అతడు అయినా కఫ‑మూత్రాదులతో నిండిన ఈ శరీరార్థం మోహపడుతున్నాడు।

Word by Word

• स्रोतांसि: channels, streams
• स्रोतांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सततम्: continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक/नित्यत्वे (always, continually)

• प्रस्रवन्ति: flow forth
• प्रस्रवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√स्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गिरेः: of a mountain
• गिरेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (simile particle)

• कफमूत्रादिकानि: phlegm, urine, and the like
• कफमूत्रादिकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कफ-मूत्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समासान्त (etc.)

• अस्य: of this (body/person)
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कृते: for the sake (of)
• कृते: Hetu/Prayojana (Purpose/हेतु-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; कृते = ‘for the sake of’ इत्यर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (locative absolute-like idiom)

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मुह्यति: is deluded, becomes confused
• मुह्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human figure stands beside a mountain; from the mountain flow clear streams, while from the body flow symbolic ‘streams’ (subtly represented) into the earth. The figure looks away from the body toward a distant Śiva shrine, indicating reorientation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It exposes the body’s constant outflows and impurities to break attachment and reduce delusion about bodily identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a universal teaching aimed at vairāgya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse supports inner purification through insight rather than external ritual.