Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

धारणां सम्यगास्थाय समाधावचलो भवेत् । यदि नेच्छति ते मृत्युं ततो नासौ प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

dhāraṇāṃ samyagāsthāya samādhāvacalo bhavet | yadi necchati te mṛtyuṃ tato nāsau prapadyate

Translation

ధారణను సమ్యక్‌గా స్థాపించి సమాధిలో అచలుడవ్వాలి. అప్పుడు మరణం నిన్ను ‘కోరుకోకపోతే’, అది నిన్ను అధిగమించదు.

Word by Word

• धारणाम्: concentration (dhāraṇā)
• धारणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: properly)

• आस्थाय: having taken up
• आस्थाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having undertaken/entered)

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• अचलः: steady, unmoving
• अचलः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular; 2nd person pronoun)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Result/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कारण/अनन्तर-अव्यय (therefore/then)

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun)

• प्रपद्यते: falls into, meets (it)
• प्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in padmāsana, breath subtle, mind fixed; behind him a personified Mṛtyu pauses at a threshold, unable to enter the circle of samādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Samādhi
• Dhāraṇā
• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady meditation stabilizes the mind and weakens fear; spiritual firmness is portrayed as a condition under which death cannot easily ‘seize’ the yogin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is referenced; the verse is yogic instruction rather than sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative practice is prescribed: establish dhāraṇā and remain unwavering in samādhi.