Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्वर्गः सदानुश्रविकस्तस्मादेनं न कामये । तत्रस्थास्य पुनः पातो भयं न व्येति मानसात्

Transliteration

svargaḥ sadānuśravikastasmādenaṃ na kāmaye | tatrasthāsya punaḥ pāto bhayaṃ na vyeti mānasāt

Translation

“Ang langit ay yaong naririnig lamang sa sali’t saling aral, kaya’t hindi ko ito ninanais. Ang takot na muling mahulog mula roon ay hindi umaalis sa aking isipan.”

Word by Word

• svargaḥ: heaven
• svargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sadā-anuśravikaḥ: ever only heard of (not lasting)
• sadā-anuśravikaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + anuśravika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘always’ + ‘heard-of/legendary’)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रयोगः; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverbial ‘therefore/from that’)

• enam: it/that (heaven)
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• kāmaye: I desire
• kāmaye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• sthāsya: I shall stay
• sthāsya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Repetition/पुनरावृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb ‘again’)

• pātaḥ: a fall (down)
• pātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• vyeti: departs/vanishes
• vyeti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-i (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mānasāt: from the mind
• mānasāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Indradyumna (king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarga (as a contrasted realm)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king reflects on svarga as mere hearsay and confesses the persistent fear of falling; the scene is introspective, with svarga depicted as distant and shimmering, while the king’s mind turns inward.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heaven is not final; anxiety about returning to lower states reveals its impermanence, encouraging pursuit of a steadier spiritual goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the verse is a doctrinal reflection on svarga’s instability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches dispassion (vairāgya) toward temporary rewards.