Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य मूढतां हास्यमासीन्मनसि मे तदा । तथा यौवनमासाद्य निशि हित्वा निजं गृहम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣya mūḍhatāṃ hāsyamāsīnmanasi me tadā | tathā yauvanamāsādya niśi hitvā nijaṃ gṛham

Translation

Nang makita ko ang kanilang kamangmangan, noon ay sumibol sa aking isipan ang isang pagngiti. Pagkaraan, nang marating ko ang kabataan, iniwan ko ang sarili kong tahanan sa gabi.

Word by Word

• निरीक्ष्य: having observed/seen
• निरीक्ष्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done)

• मूढताम्: foolishness
• मूढताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• हास्यम्: laughter; something laughable
• हास्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मनसि: in (my) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मे: of me; my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having attained/reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Kala/Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• हित्वा: having abandoned/left
• हित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man, having inwardly smiled at the folly of worldly people, quietly leaves his home at night, carrying minimal belongings, eyes turned toward a distant Śiva-shrine silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Home (gṛha)
• Youth (yauvana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment can turn worldly anxieties into recognized delusion, prompting a seeker toward renunciation and spiritual pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a life-choice—departing home—often associated with vairāgya.