Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मस्त कस्थायिनं मृत्युं यदि पश्येदयं जनः । आहारोऽपि न रोचेत किमुताकार्यकारिता

Transliteration

masta kasthāyinaṃ mṛtyuṃ yadi paśyedayaṃ janaḥ | āhāro'pi na roceta kimutākāryakāritā

Translation

Kung makita ng tao ang kamatayan na nakatindig sa ibabaw ng kanyang ulo, kahit pagkain ay hindi na niya liligaya—lalo pa kayang gagawa siya ng maling gawain?

Word by Word

• मस्त: intoxicated
• मस्त: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• कस्थायिनम्: standing on a log/wood (kāṣṭha)
• कस्थायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कस्थायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनः: person
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आहारः: food
• आहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

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

• रोचेत: would please/appeal
• रोचेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative used adverbially)

• उत: then/indeed
• उत: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प/उत्कर्षसूचक (particle: then/indeed)

• अकार्यकारिता: doing of forbidden acts
• अकार्यकारिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य + कारिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः (doing of what should not be done)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed group (women/others)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark allegory: Death poised above a person’s head like a shadow; the person turns away from food, face pale, hands withdrawn, realizing the futility of wrongdoing.

Characters & Entities

• mṛtyu (death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering mortality curbs reckless desire; dharma is strengthened by mṛtyu-smaraṇa and sober discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it recommends a contemplative discipline: awareness of death to prevent wrongdoing.