Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

महामते मांडिपुत्र न धार्यं ते भयं हृदि । चत्वारस्त्वां हि धर्माद्या मनस्त्यक्ष्यामहे न ते

Transliteration

mahāmate māṃḍiputra na dhāryaṃ te bhayaṃ hṛdi | catvārastvāṃ hi dharmādyā manastyakṣyāmahe na te

Translation

“Hỡi người con của Māṃḍi, bậc tâm trí cao quý, chớ ôm giữ sợ hãi trong lòng. Vì chúng ta bốn vị—khởi đầu là Dharma—sẽ không rời bỏ tâm chí của ngươi.”

Word by Word

• mahāmate: O great-minded one
• mahāmate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महती मतिः यस्य’/‘महामतिः’ (Vocative singular)

• māṃḍiputra: O son of Māṃḍi
• māṃḍiputra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃḍi (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘माण्डेः पुत्र’ (Vocative singular)

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

• dhāryam: to be borne/held
• dhāryam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु) → dhārya (कृदन्त; यत्-प्रत्यय, विधेय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण ‘धार्यं’ = ‘to be borne/held’ (Neuter predicative)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular: ‘of you/your’)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter singular; here as object of ‘dhāryam’/predicative)

• hṛdi: in (your) heart
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Locative singular)

• catvāraḥ: four
• catvāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catvāri (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्या (Masculine nominative plural)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Accusative singular)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• dharma-ādyāḥ: Dharma and the others
• dharma-ādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘धर्मः आदिः येषाम्’ (group headed by Dharma)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Neuter accusative singular)

• tyakṣyāmahe: we will abandon
• tyakṣyāmahe: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (Future, 1st plural, middle)

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

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular: ‘of you/your’)

Speaker

Vibhūtis (a group of four, beginning with Dharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four personified dharmic powers—led by Dharma—lean toward the newborn-to-be (or the womb), offering a gesture of reassurance: ‘Do not fear; we will not abandon your mind.’

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Vibhūtis
• Māṃḍi-putra (child)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear subsides when dharma and divine supports steady the mind; inner resolve is protected by righteous forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a reassurance and promise of protection.