Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यथा नास्तिकदुर्वृत्तो नानाशास्त्रोपदेशकान् । सोढुं शक्ता न ते वीरं महति स्यंदने स्थितम्

Transliteration

yathā nāstikadurvṛtto nānāśāstropadeśakān | soḍhuṃ śaktā na te vīraṃ mahati syaṃdane sthitam

Translation

正如品行败坏的无神者不能忍受从诸多经典中教诲的师长，他们也同样无法承受那位英雄——立于其宏伟战车之上。

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• नास्तिकदुर्वृत्तः: an atheistic wicked man
• नास्तिकदुर्वृत्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāstika (प्रातिपदिक) + durvṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('atheistic and wicked'); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nānā (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याय/विविधतावाचक-अव्यय (various)

• शास्त्र: treatises; scriptures
• शास्त्र: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• उपदेशकान्: teachers; instructors
• उपदेशकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upadeśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सोढुम्: to endure; to bear
• सोढुम्: Karma (Infinitival object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sah (धातु) + tumun (कृत्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• शक्ताः: able
• शक्ताः: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (प्रातिपदिक; √śak + kta)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वीरम्: the hero
• वीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महति: in/ on the great
• महति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (here agreeing with syaṃdana: नपुंसक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्यन्दने: chariot
• स्यन्दने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: syandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: standing; stationed
• स्थितम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'vīram' qualifies by agreement via implied 'tam' or as appositive to vīram (acc.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-vision allegory: foreground shows Tāraka steady on a massive chariot, devas unable to withstand him; background vignette shows a defiant nāstika turning away from calm teachers holding palm-leaf manuscripts, symbolizing rejection of śāstric counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma resists śāstra and discipline; the impious mind cannot tolerate true instruction, just as divine hosts struggled before Tāraka’s force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse uses a dharma-ethical simile within the war narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral comparison (dṛṣṭānta) rather than a ritual directive.