Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणस्य हि देहोयं नैवैहिकफलप्रियः । कृच्छ्राय तपसे चेह प्रेत्यानंतसुखाय च

Transliteration

brāhmaṇasya hi dehoyaṃ naivaihikaphalapriyaḥ | kṛcchrāya tapase ceha pretyānaṃtasukhāya ca

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుని ఈ దేహం లోకిక ఫలాలను కోరేది కాదు; ఇది ఇక్కడ కఠిన తపస్సుకోసం, మరణానంతరం అనంత సుఖం కోసం కూడా ఉంది.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; emphasis/causal)

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• ऐहिक-फल-प्रियः: fond of worldly fruits (rewards)
• ऐहिक-फल-प्रियः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐहिक (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (ऐहिकं फलम् प्रियं यस्य) — ‘देहः’ इति विशेषणम्

• कृच्छ्राय: for hardship/for severe discipline
• कृच्छ्राय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचनम्

• तपसे: for austerity
• तपसे: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (here/in this world)

• प्रेत्य: after death/having departed
• प्रेत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior circumstance/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive), अर्थः ‘मरणानन्तरम्’ (after departing/dying)

• अनन्त-सुखाय: for endless happiness
• अनन्त-सुखाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (अनन्तं सुखम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gālavāśrama (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The wandering speaker (disciple-figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close scene of the sage instructing: Gālava, lean and radiant, gestures toward his own body as an instrument of tapas; the listener bows, pride melting; behind them the snowy cave-mouth and a steady sacrificial fire symbolize endurance and inner light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma prioritizes austerity and spiritual purpose over immediate material gain, leading toward lasting happiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse teaches varṇa-dharma and life-purpose.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is upheld as the discipline, but no specific rite (snāna/dāna/japa) is enumerated here.