Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्रिविधमप्येतन्नारकीयं विवर्जयेत् । सदाशिवं च शरणं व्रजेत्सच्छ्रद्धया युतः

Transliteration

tasmāttrividhamapyetannārakīyaṃ vivarjayet | sadāśivaṃ ca śaraṇaṃ vrajetsacchraddhayā yutaḥ

Translation

ฉะนั้นพึงละเว้นความประพฤติสามประการอันนำไปสู่นรกนี้ และด้วยศรัทธาแท้จริงจงเข้าถึงที่พึ่งคือพระสทาศิวะ

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तम्; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययवत् (therefore/from that reason)

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• त्रिविधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (threefold) विशेषणम् एतत्-शब्दस्य

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारकीयम्: hellish
• नारकीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् एतत्-शब्दस्य (hellish/leading to hell)

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√वृज्/वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः “should avoid”

• सदाशिवम्: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (“सदा शिवः” = ever-auspicious Śiva)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म-सम्बन्धे (as refuge)

• व्रजेत्: should go (seek)
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः “should go/seek”

• सत्: true/genuine
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; √अस् धातोः शतृ/सत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (good/true) उपपद-रूपेण श्रद्दया-शब्दस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः/सः)

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sadāśiva-śaraṇa (conceptual refuge)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee turns away from three dark paths (symbolic triad of naraka-leading acts) and walks toward a radiant Sadāśiva/Śiva-liṅga, hands folded, eyes steady with faith.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• śaraṇa (refuge)
• trividha (threefold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avoid sin and anchor life in śaraṇāgati—devotional refuge in Sadāśiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the glorification is of Sadāśiva and refuge through faith.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is devotional: seek Sadāśiva as refuge with sincere śraddhā.