Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 133

Devanagari script

अपि कल्पसहस्रायुर्नैव ज्ञेयमवाप्नुयात् । त्यक्तसंगो जितक्रोधो लब्धाहारो जितेंद्रियः

Transliteration

api kalpasahasrāyurnaiva jñeyamavāpnuyāt | tyaktasaṃgo jitakrodho labdhāhāro jiteṃdriyaḥ

Translation

แม้มีอายุยืนถึงพันกัลป์ ก็ยังไม่อาจเข้าถึง “สิ่งพึงรู้” ได้ด้วยการสั่งสมเพียงอย่างเดียว พึงละความยึดติด ชนะโทสะ รับอาหารเท่าที่ได้มา และสำรวมอินทรีย์

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवाद-अव्यय (even/also)

• कल्पसहस्रायुः: having a lifespan of a thousand aeons
• कल्पसहस्रायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कल्पानां सहस्रं = a thousand aeons; तद्वत् आयुः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (यः इत्यध्याहार्यः)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (just/indeed)

• ज्ञेयम्: the knowable (truth)
• ज्ञेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive used substantively); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘that which is to be known’

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अव-उपसर्ग

• त्यक्तसङ्गः: one who has abandoned attachment
• त्यक्तसङ्गः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त; √त्यज्) + सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य सङ्गः त्यक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (योगी-विशेषण)

• जितक्रोधः: one who has conquered anger
• जितक्रोधः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य क्रोधः जितः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लब्धाहारः: one who has obtained food (as available)
• लब्धाहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (कृदन्त; √लभ्) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य आहारः लब्धः/प्राप्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has mastered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्य इन्द्रियाणि जितानि); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic yogin with calm face, one simple bowl of food, senses symbolically subdued (serpent/animals at feet), anger depicted as a fading red shadow behind him; vast time (kalpas) hinted by cosmic backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Realization depends on inner purification—detachment, anger-control, moderation, and sense-restraint—rather than on endless intellectual pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is invoked in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ethical-ascetic prescriptions are given: tyāga of saṅga (attachment), krodha-jaya (conquest of anger), moderation in food, and indriya-jaya (sense control).