Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आरोहयेच्छिरो नैव क्वचिद्धित्वा उपानहौ । यथा स मूढो भवति देवीभक्तिरतस्तथा

Transliteration

ārohayecchiro naiva kvaciddhitvā upānahau | yathā sa mūḍho bhavati devībhaktiratastathā

Translation

جس طرح کوئی مناسب طریقہ چھوڑ کر جوتے کبھی سر پر نہیں رکھتا، اسی طرح صرف دیوی (پرکرتی) ہی کی طرف رخ کی ہوئی بھکتی بھی ویسی ہی حماقت بن جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• आरोहयेत्: should place/raise (make ascend)
• आरोहयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somewhere/ever)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• उपानहौ: (a pair of) sandals
• उपानहौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपानह् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मूढः: deluded, foolish
• मूढः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः इति)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• देवीभक्तिः: devotion to the Goddess
• देवीभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देव्याः भक्तिः)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (so, in that way)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a foolish person tries to place shoes on the head while the guru points out the absurdity; parallel vignette shows a devotee worshipping Prakṛti alone while ignoring the supreme deity.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be guided by right understanding and proper hierarchy of the divine; misplaced worship born of delusion is compared to reversing what is fitting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is described; the verse uses an ethical analogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it comments on the correctness of devotional orientation.