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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कायः सुगन्धतोयाद्यैर्यत्नेनापि सुसंस्कृतः । न जहाति स्वकं भावं श्वपुच्छमिव नामितम्

Transliteration

kāyaḥ sugandhatoyādyairyatnenāpi susaṃskṛtaḥ | na jahāti svakaṃ bhāvaṃ śvapucchamiva nāmitam

Translation

اگرچہ جسم کو خوشبودار پانی وغیرہ سے بڑی محنت کے ساتھ سنوارا جائے، پھر بھی وہ اپنی فطرت نہیں چھوڑتا—جیسے کتے کی دُم دبانے سے بھی سیدھی نہیں رہتی۔

Word by Word
कायःbody
कायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
सुगन्ध-तोय-आद्यैःwith fragrant water and the like
सुगन्ध-तोय-आद्यैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसु-गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—आद्य-शब्देन ‘इत्यादि’ (etc.)
यत्नेनwith effort
यत्नेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणार्थ)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), ‘even/also’
सु-संस्कृतःwell-refined/well-prepared
सु-संस्कृतः:
Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसु (उपसर्ग) + √कृ (धातु) → संस्कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कायः’)
नnot
न:
Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
जहातिabandons
जहाति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√हा (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
स्वकम्its own
स्वकम्:
Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘भावम्’)
भावम्nature/character
भावम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन
श्व-पुच्छम्a dog’s tail
श्व-पुच्छम्:
Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dog’s tail)
इवlike
इव:
Upamā-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमाद्योतक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-निपात (comparative particle)
नामितम्bent/forced to bend
नामितम्:
Upamāna-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of upamāna/उपमानविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√नम् (धातु) → नामित (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘श्वपुच्छम्’)
Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic points to a dog’s tail being pressed straight yet springing back, while a well-adorned person perfumes the body—symbolizing the futility of mere external grooming without inner change.

FAQs

Cosmetic refinement cannot transform the body’s fundamental condition; lasting purification is inward.

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a general moral analogy aimed at cultivating discernment.

No ritual is prescribed; the verse critiques reliance on external beautification as a substitute for spiritual purity.

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