Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तत्संप्राप्य तथा कुर्यान्न गच्छेन्नरकं यथा । सर्वस्य मूलं मानुष्यं तथा सर्वार्थसाधकम्

Transliteration

tatsaṃprāpya tathā kuryānna gacchennarakaṃ yathā | sarvasya mūlaṃ mānuṣyaṃ tathā sarvārthasādhakam

Translation

เมื่อได้การเกิดนั้นคือความเป็นมนุษย์แล้ว พึงประพฤติให้เป็นไปเพื่อไม่ต้องตกนรก ชีวิตมนุษย์เป็นรากแห่งสรรพสิ่ง และเป็นเครื่องมือให้บรรลุเป้าหมายอันแท้จริงทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• तत्: that (i.e., that human state/birth)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्प्राप्य: having attained
• सम्प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+प्र+√आप् (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive)

• तथा: thus, accordingly
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should do (act)
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथा: so that; in such a way that
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner)

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूलम्: root, basis
• मूलम्: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानुष्यम्: human state/birth
• मानुष्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ/अन्वयार्थ (connector)

• सर्वार्थसाधकम्: accomplishing all aims
• सर्वार्थसाधकम्: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अर्थ + साधक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् अर्थानाम् साधकम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human figure holds a lamp labeled ‘mānuṣya’; its light reveals four paths (dharma/artha/kāma/mokṣa) while a dark chasm labeled ‘naraka’ lies beside the wrong path; the figure steps carefully on a dharma-marked bridge.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• HumanBirth
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is the key opportunity: act dharmically to avoid downfall and to fulfill life’s highest purposes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is indicated; the teaching is broadly applicable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No particular rite; it prescribes dharmic conduct so that one does not incur hellish results.