Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

परस्त्रीं च परान्नं च गच्छन्संदंशमेति च । दिवास्वप्नपरा ये व्रतलोपपराश्च ये

Transliteration

parastrīṃ ca parānnaṃ ca gacchansaṃdaṃśameti ca | divāsvapnaparā ye vratalopaparāśca ye

Translation

追逐他人妻室与他人饮食者，必至三陀姆沙（Saṃdaṃśa）。沉溺昼寝者，以及专事毁破誓戒（vrata）者，亦同受此等堕落。

Word by Word

• परस्त्रीम्: another’s wife
• परस्त्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परा + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परा स्त्री)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• परान्नम्: another’s food
• परान्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परम् अन्नम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• गच्छन्: going/approaching
• गच्छन्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (converbial: ‘going/approaching’)

• संदंशम्: Saṃdaṃśa (a hell/torment)
• संदंशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• दिवास्वप्नपराः: devoted to sleeping by day
• दिवास्वप्नपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिवा + स्वप्न + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दिवास्वप्ने पराः = दिवा स्वप्ने आसक्ताः)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• व्रतलोपपराः: intent on breaking vows
• व्रतलोपपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत + लोप + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (व्रतलोपे पराः = व्रतानां लोपे आसक्ताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃdaṃśa (narka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man reaches toward another’s wife and another’s meal; nearby, figures sleep in daylight while a neglected vow-fire/altar lies cold; in the distance, Saṃdaṃśa appears as a symbolic crushing/biting mechanism (without gore).

Characters & Entities

• Saṃdaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-control—sexual restraint, non-appropriation of others’ goods, and steadfastness in vows—is central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a moral warning framed through naraka doctrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implicitly upholds vrata-observance (not violating vows), but gives no specific ritual procedure.