Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

वैराग्यं परमास्थाय औदार्यं च ततोऽधिकम् । तेनैव ममता त्यक्ता रावणेन महात्मना

Transliteration

vairāgyaṃ paramāsthāya audāryaṃ ca tato'dhikam | tenaiva mamatā tyaktā rāvaṇena mahātmanā

Translation

اس نے اعلیٰ ترین ویراغیہ اختیار کیا، اور اس سے بھی بڑھ کر سخاوت میں قائم رہا؛ اسی مہاتما راون نے مَمَتا (ملکیت کا احساس) ترک کر دیا۔

Word by Word

• vairāgyam: dispassion
• vairāgyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'vairāgyam' इति विशेषण — neuter accusative singular adjective

• āsthāya: having adopted
• āsthāya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — having resorted to/after adopting

• audāryam: generosity, magnanimity
• audāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: audārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

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

• tataḥ: thereafter; than that
• tataḥ: Sambandha/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverb: 'thereafter/than that')

• adhikam: greater, more
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'audāryam' इति विशेषण — neuter accusative singular adjective

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental singular ('by him/thereby')

• eva: indeed, alone
• eva: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/restriction)

• mamatā: possessiveness, 'mine-ness'
• mamatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mamatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• tyaktā: abandoned
• tyaktā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj त्यज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — feminine nominative singular; PPP agreeing with 'mamatā'

• rāvaṇena: by Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled one
• mahātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular; karmadhāraya

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine assembly and audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa is shown not as a conqueror but as a serene ascetic-king: open-handed generosity, minimal possessions, calm face indicating vairāgya.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vairāgya
• Audārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment and generosity are praised as marks of higher dharma—freedom from ‘mine-ness’ purifies even great power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the ethical teaching is embedded within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse highlights inner disciplines (vairāgya, audārya, abandonment of mamatā).