Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दोषमेनं विनिश्चत्य श्रृमु तं पांडुनन्दन । लुब्धोऽनृती दांभीकश्च स्वप्रशंसापरायणः

Transliteration

doṣamenaṃ viniścatya śrṛmu taṃ pāṃḍunandana | lubdho'nṛtī dāṃbhīkaśca svapraśaṃsāparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

既已判定此过失，且听我言，般度之子：此人贪婪、虚妄、矫饰伪善，且一味自我称赞。

Word by Word

• दोषम्: fault; defect
• दोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• एनम्: this (person)
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विनिश्चत्य: having ascertained
• विनिश्चत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-√चि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having ascertained/decided’

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (पाठभेद: ‘शृणु’ for IAST śrṛmu)

• तम्: that (fault)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पाण्डोः नन्दनः)

• लुब्धः: greedy
• लुब्धः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एनम्)

• अनृती: lying; untruthful
• अनृती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (इकारान्त) ‘untruthful/liar’; विशेषणम् (एनम्)

• दांभीकः: hypocritical; ostentatious
• दांभीकः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दांभीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एनम्)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वप्रशंसापरायणः: devoted to self-praise
• स्वप्रशंसापरायणः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वप्रशंसायां परायणः = devoted to self-praise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (a Pāṇḍava prince, as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate teacher-figure addresses a Pāṇḍava prince; shadowy personifications of greed, falsehood, hypocrisy, and self-praise appear as allegorical figures behind the accused, indicating inner enemies.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍunandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed, lying, hypocrisy, and self-glorification destroy the spiritual value of religious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a moral diagnosis relevant to all pilgrimage and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: purify intention and character; otherwise ritual becomes spiritually defective.