Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

स सदा नंदभद्रस्य विलोकयति चांतरम् । छिद्रं चेदस्य पश्यामि ततो धर्मान्निवर्तये

Transliteration

sa sadā naṃdabhadrasya vilokayati cāṃtaram | chidraṃ cedasya paśyāmi tato dharmānnivartaye

Translation

เขาเฝ้าจับตาดูช่องโหว่ในตัวนันทภัทรอยู่เสมอ ‘หากข้าเห็นรอยรั่วเพียงหนึ่งเดียวในเขา ข้าจะทำให้เขาหันหลังให้ธรรม’ เขาคิดในใจ

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• नन्दभद्रस्य: of Nandabhadra
• नन्दभद्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दभद्र (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (proper name)

• विलोकयति: observes/looks at
• विलोकयति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः लोक् = पश्यति (to look)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्तरम्: the inner (fault/secret)
• अन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अन्तर’ = अन्तराल/अन्तःकरण/गुप्तभाव (inner aspect)

• छिद्रम्: a flaw
• छिद्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक निपात (conditional particle ‘if’)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb ‘then/from that’)

• धर्मात्: from dharma (righteousness)
• धर्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• निवर्तये: I will turn (him) away / withdraw
• निवर्तये: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage ‘to make turn back/withdraw’ (निवर्तयति)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The antagonist circles Nandabhadra’s daily life—watching his rituals, charity, and conduct—like a predator seeking an opening; Nandabhadra remains steady, framed by symbols of dharma (lamp, water-pot, scripture).

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra
• dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fault-finding and the wish to derail others from dharma is itself a grave spiritual corruption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse advances the moral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it warns against malicious intent and sabotage of dharma.