Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

तामसा विकला ये च कष्टं तेषां च श्लाघ्यताम् । सर्वेंद्रिययुताः श्रेष्ठाः कुतो धन्या न मानुषाः

Transliteration

tāmasā vikalā ye ca kaṣṭaṃ teṣāṃ ca ślāghyatām | sarveṃdriyayutāḥ śreṣṭhāḥ kuto dhanyā na mānuṣāḥ

Translation

తామసగుణంతో వికలులైన వారి కష్టం ‘ధన్యత’గా ఎలా ప్రశంసనీయం? సమస్త ఇంద్రియసంపత్తితో శ్రేష్ఠసామర్థ్యమున్న మనుష్యులే నిజంగా ధన్యులు.

Word by Word

• tāmasāḥ: tamasic, dull-minded
• tāmasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• vikalāḥ: deficient, impaired
• vikalāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• kaṣṭam: hardship, suffering
• kaṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• ślāghyatām: praiseworthiness
• ślāghyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ślāghyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम

• sarva-indriya-yutāḥ: endowed with all senses
• sarva-indriya-yutāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त; √yuj युज्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वाणि इन्द्रियाणि येषां सन्ति/युताः)

• śreṣṭhāḥ: excellent, superior
• śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्/विधेय-विशेषणम्

• kutaḥ: how then?, whence?
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'whence/how then')

• dhanyāḥ: fortunate, blessed
• dhanyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• mānuṣāḥ: human beings
• mānuṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unclear from snippet; didactic rebuttal within the dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective speaker contrasts a shadowy, tamasic figure with a luminous human figure holding a lamp of discernment, suggesting the privilege of complete senses and moral agency.

Characters & Entities

• Mānuṣa (human beings)
• Tamas (tāmasa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is affirmed as especially valuable for dharma and spiritual striving, due to fuller faculties and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse is anthropological/ethical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implicitly encourages using human capacities for dharma and higher pursuit.