Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

श्मशानस्तंभ येनाहं दत्ता तुभ्यं कृतंत्वाय । इह कंदफलाहारैर्यत्किं तेन न पूर्यते

Transliteration

śmaśānastaṃbha yenāhaṃ dattā tubhyaṃ kṛtaṃtvāya | iha kaṃdaphalāhārairyatkiṃ tena na pūryate

Translation

ด้วยเสาแห่งป่าช้าต้นนั้น ซึ่งเป็นเหตุให้ข้าถูกมอบแก่ท่าน—เมื่อเราดำรงชีพที่นี่ด้วยหัวเผือกหัวมันและผลไม้เป็นภักษา เขายังมีสิ่งใดที่มิได้บันดาลให้สำเร็จเล่า

Word by Word

• श्मशानस्तम्भ: pillar of the cremation-ground
• श्मशानस्तम्भ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्मशानस्य स्तम्भः)

• येन: by which/with which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दत्ता: given (handed over)
• दत्ता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अहम् इत्यस्य स्त्रीरूपेण)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done; made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वाय: by you/for you (as read)
• त्वाय: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वा (अव्यय/तुमुन्-पूर्वक-भाव)
• Form: अव्यय; (पाठभेद/सन्धि-रूप) ‘त्वया’ इत्यर्थे प्रयोगः सम्भाव्यः

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कन्दफलाहारैः: with food of roots and fruits
• कन्दफलाहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः (कन्दफलयोः आहारः)

• यत्: which/what
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेन: by that/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• पूर्यते: is fulfilled/satisfied
• पूर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Ruci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense dialogue in a cremation-ground hermitage: a woman speaks with sharp restraint, pointing to a cremation-ground post; ascetics nearby subsist on roots and fruits; ash, skull motifs, and a boundary-stake dominate the foreground.

Characters & Entities

• Ruci
• Śmaśāna (cremation ground)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity without mutual consent can become a source of conflict; dharma in household life requires compassion and shared resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised here; the verse references a śmaśāna setting as part of the narrative background.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it mentions an austere diet of roots and fruits, indicating a life of hardship/ascetic constraint.