Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

ततश्चांतर्दधे सद्यः प्रहसन्निव केशवः । कुयोगिन इव स्वामी सदा बुद्धिमतां वरः

Transliteration

tataścāṃtardadhe sadyaḥ prahasanniva keśavaḥ | kuyogina iva svāmī sadā buddhimatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

Bấy giờ Kêśava liền ẩn mất khỏi tầm mắt, như thể đang mỉm cười—tựa bậc minh sư chân thật lẩn tránh kẻ tu yoga sai lạc, mãi là đấng tối thắng giữa hàng người trí.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared
• अन्तर्दधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘disappeared/withdrew’

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: immediately)

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√हस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Present participle ‘laughing’

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कुयोगिनः: of a bad yogin
• कुयोगिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुष्ट/कुयोगी); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of a bad yogin)

• इव: like/as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• स्वामी: the lord/master
• स्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the wise
• बुद्धिमताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of the intelligent)

• वरः: the best/excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava smiles subtly and disappears—his form dissolving into luminous space—while a misguided yogin-like figure reaches outward in frustration; the contrast highlights serene mastery versus grasping effort.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Keśava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is grasped by right discipline and devotion; false or misdirected practice (kuyoga) cannot ‘hold’ Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; the focus is theological instruction through simile.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse implies the necessity of proper yoga/bhakti rather than giving a concrete rite.