Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

आलस्योपहतो राजा व्यसनी नरकं व्रजेत् । एवमादीनि चान्यानि पापान्याहुः पुराविदः

Transliteration

ālasyopahato rājā vyasanī narakaṃ vrajet | evamādīni cānyāni pāpānyāhuḥ purāvidaḥ

Translation

جو بادشاہ سستی سے مغلوب ہو اور جو بدعادتوں میں مبتلا ہو، وہ دوزخ کو جاتا ہے۔ قدیم روایت کے جاننے والے اسی طرح کے اور گناہوں کا بھی ذکر کرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ālasya-upahataḥ: overcome by laziness
• ālasya-upahataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ālasya + upa + √han (हन् धातु) → upahata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘upahata’; तत्पुरुष ‘आलस्येन उपहतः’ (struck/overcome by laziness)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vyasanī: addicted (to vices)
• vyasanī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasanin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (addicted/vice-ridden)

• narakam: hell
• narakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vrajet: should go (to)
• vrajet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• evamādīni: such (sins) and the like
• evamādīni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: evam + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव ‘एवम्-आदि’ = ‘such and the like’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• anyāni: other
• anyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• purāvidaḥ: the knowers of ancient lore
• purāvidaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purā + vid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘पुराणां विदः’ (knowers of old/ancients)

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king reclining in indolence amid wine and dice while the kingdom suffers; a shadowy Yama-path opens behind him; sages in the margin point to a list of ‘other sins’ as a scroll.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• naraka (hell)
• purāvidaḥ (knowers of ancient lore)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership demands vigilance and self-control; laziness and vice become causes of downfall in this world and the next.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it warns against ālasya (sloth) and vyasana (vices).