Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

वयं च शंभो विषयान्विताश्च मंत्र्यादयः स्त्रीजिताश्चापि चान्ये । न लोकमध्ये वयमेव चाज्ञाः स्त्रीसेवनं लज्जया नैव कुर्मः

Transliteration

vayaṃ ca śaṃbho viṣayānvitāśca maṃtryādayaḥ strījitāścāpi cānye | na lokamadhye vayameva cājñāḥ strīsevanaṃ lajjayā naiva kurmaḥ

Translation

‘ข้าแต่พระศัมภู พวกเราก็ข้องเกี่ยวอยู่กับอารมณ์โลกีย์; เหล่าเสนาบดีและผู้อื่นก็ยังพ่ายแพ้ต่อสตรีเช่นกัน. ในโลกนี้มิใช่เราผู้เดียวที่เขลา; แต่ด้วยความละอาย เราจึงไม่แสดงการปรนนิบัติสตรีอย่างเปิดเผย’

Word by Word

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• śaṃbho: O Śambhu
• śaṃbho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• viṣaya-anvitāḥ: attached to sense-objects
• viṣaya-anvitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'विषयैः अन्विताः' = 'endowed with sense-objects'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — विशेषण (vayam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• maṃtri-ādayaḥ: ministers and others
• maṃtri-ādayaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtrin (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'मन्त्री आदयः' = 'ministers and others'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• strī-jitāḥ: overcome by women
• strī-jitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + ji (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'स्त्रिया जिताः' = 'conquered by women'; भूतकाले कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय) 'जित'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — विशेषण (maṃtryādayaḥ / vayam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — अपि = 'also/even'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• loka-madhye: in the world; among people
• loka-madhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी): 'लोकस्य मध्ये' = 'in the world/among people'; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• eva: alone; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — अवधारण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ajñāḥ: ignorant; foolish
• ajñāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — विशेषण (vayam)

• strī-sevanam: association with women
• strī-sevanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + sevana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'स्त्रीणां सेवनम्' = 'service/indulgence in women'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• lajjayā: out of shame
• lajjayā: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• eva: at all; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — बलार्थक

• kurmaḥ: we do
• kurmaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Citraratha (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (Śambhu-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śambhu (Śiva), in Devī’s presence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king speaks candidly before Śiva: his posture slightly bowed, face conflicted—shame and honesty—while the divine couple listens in calm, luminous stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Ministers (mantrins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rationalizing desire by citing others’ weakness is not dharma; inner restraint and accountability matter more than social comparison.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the narrative setting in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse functions as part of a moral dialogue about conduct.