Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

केचिदज्ञानतो नष्टाः केचिज्ज्ञानमदादपि । ज्ञानं प्राप्यापि नष्टाश्च केचिदालस्यतोऽधमाः

Transliteration

kecidajñānato naṣṭāḥ kecijjñānamadādapi | jñānaṃ prāpyāpi naṣṭāśca kecidālasyato'dhamāḥ

Translation

บางคนพินาศเพราะอวิชชา บางคนแม้เพราะความเมาในวิชา และบางคนได้ความรู้แล้วก็ยังพินาศ—คนต่ำทรามเหล่านั้นเพราะความเกียจคร้าน

Word by Word

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• अज्ञानतः: from ignorance
• अज्ञानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोगः (as ‘from ignorance’)

• नष्टाः: ruined, lost
• नष्टाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ज्ञानमदात्: from pride of knowledge
• ज्ञानमदात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य मदः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय (also/even)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (ल्यप्) अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय

• नष्टाः: ruined
• नष्टाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• आलस्यतः: from laziness
• आलस्यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अधमाः: base, vile
• अधमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (केचित्)

Speaker

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

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) the audience; teaching voiced by Yājñavalkya in context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych allegory: (1) a man in darkness stumbling (ignorance), (2) a scholar with swollen pride turning away from elders (knowledge-intoxication), (3) a learned man asleep beside scriptures (laziness). A sage points to the middle path of disciplined humility.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both ignorance and egoistic learning can destroy; even true knowledge fails if not supported by effort and steady practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the teaching is ethical and universal rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; the implied prescription is diligence and application of knowledge in conduct.