Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विचरामि महीमेतां मदांध इव वारणः । शिवभक्तिं विहायाथ नृपोऽहं मदनातुरः

Transliteration

vicarāmi mahīmetāṃ madāṃdha iva vāraṇaḥ | śivabhaktiṃ vihāyātha nṛpo'haṃ madanāturaḥ

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าเที่ยวไปทั่วแผ่นดินนี้ดุจช้างที่ตาบอดเพราะความเมามัว ครั้นละทิ้งศิวภักติแล้ว ข้าพเจ้า—แม้เป็นกษัตริย์—กลับเร่าร้อนด้วยกามตัณหา

Word by Word

• विचरामि: I wander
• विचरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मदान्धः: blinded by intoxication
• मदान्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (मदेन अन्धः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; उपमानोपमेयवाक्ये विशेषणम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमावाचक (like/as)

• वारणः: an elephant
• वारणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; उपमानम्

• शिवभक्तिम्: devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (शिवस्य भक्तिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-√हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययम्); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having abandoned)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषसर्वनाम, प्रथमा एकवचन; नृपः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• मदनातुरः: distressed by desire (Cupid)
• मदनातुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदन + आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (मदनेन आतुरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king wanders restlessly, eyes clouded by intoxication and desire, contrasted with a faint, neglected Śiva shrine in the background—devotion abandoned.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Madana (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion and restraint are abandoned, pride and desire can overpower even the powerful, leading to spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned; the verse is ethical and introspective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, maintaining Śiva-bhakti as a stabilizing discipline; no explicit ritual is stated.