Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

मुद्गल उवाच । पतनस्य भयं यत्र पुण्यहानिर्न वर्द्धनम् । तेन स्वर्गेण मे दूत नैव कार्यं कथंचन

Transliteration

mudgala uvāca | patanasya bhayaṃ yatra puṇyahānirna varddhanam | tena svargeṇa me dūta naiva kāryaṃ kathaṃcana

Translation

มุทคละกล่าวว่า: โอ้ทูตเอ๋ย สวรรค์ที่มีความหวาดกลัวต่อการตกลง ที่ซึ่งบุญย่อมร่อยหรอไม่เพิ่มพูน ข้าพเจ้าไม่ต้องการเลย

Word by Word

• मुद्गलः: Mudgala
• मुद्गलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पतनस्य: of falling / downfall
• पतनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• पुण्यहानिः: loss of merit
• पुण्यहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-हानि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य हानिः)

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

• वर्द्धनम्: increase / growth
• वर्द्धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्द्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• स्वर्गेण: with heaven / by heaven
• स्वर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मे: my / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दूत: O messenger
• दूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कार्यम्: need / business
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: 'in any way/at all')

Speaker

Mudgala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine messenger (dūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mudgala speaks firmly to a divine messenger: upright posture, steady gaze, hand raised in refusal; the messenger appears deferential, celestial aura subdued by the rishi’s calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Mudgala
• Dūta (messenger)
• Svarga
• Patana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A wise seeker rejects impermanent rewards and chooses a goal where there is no fear of decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Arbuda Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it expresses renunciation of Svarga-motivated religiosity.