Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

न च्छंदांसि वृजिनात्तारयंति मायाविनं माययाऽवर्तमानम् । नीडं शकुंता इव जातपक्षाश्छंदास्येनं प्रजहत्यंतकाले

Transliteration

na cchaṃdāṃsi vṛjināttārayaṃti māyāvinaṃ māyayā'vartamānam | nīḍaṃ śakuṃtā iva jātapakṣāśchaṃdāsyenaṃ prajahatyaṃtakāle

Translation

ฉันทลักษณ์แห่งพระเวทไม่อาจพาข้ามบาปได้แก่คนเจ้าเล่ห์ผู้ดำรงอยู่ด้วยมายา ดังนกเมื่อปีกงอกแล้วละทิ้งรัง ฉันใด เมื่อถึงกาลมรณะ พระเวทก็ละเขา ฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• chandāṃsi: Vedic hymns/metrical chants
• chandāṃsi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (subject)

• vṛjināt: from sin/evil
• vṛjināt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛjina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative of separation)

• tārayaṃti: cause to cross over / deliver
• tārayaṃti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच् (causative) प्रयोगः

• māyāvinam: the deceitful one / magician
• māyāvinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• māyayā: by illusion
• māyayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• avartamānam: not abiding/ not being in (the truth); not steady
• avartamānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vartamāna (वर्त् धातोः वर्तमान-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासानुरूप, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं (qualifying māyāvinam)

• nīḍam: nest
• nīḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• śakuṃtāḥ: birds
• śakuṃtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakunta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Upamā/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• jāta-pakṣāḥ: having grown wings
• jāta-pakṣāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta (जन् धातोः क्त कृदन्त) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयवत् अर्थः: जाताः पक्षाः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणं (qualifying śakuṃtāḥ)

• chandāsi: the Veda/metrical chant
• chandāsi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• prajahati: abandons, leaves behind
• prajahati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-hā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

• antakāle: at the final time (death)
• antakāle: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta-kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of time)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned but deceitful man stands at the threshold of death; luminous Vedic meters personified as birds lift away from him, abandoning a nest, while a dark veil of māyā clings to his body.

Characters & Entities

• Chandas (Vedic meters/Veda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture cannot protect a hypocrite; without truthful living, even Vedic learning deserts one at death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is a universal admonition about integrity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it rejects reliance on textual prestige and urges honest conduct.