Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42
Devanagari script
अनाद्यंता तु सा तृष्णा ह्यंतर्देहगता नृणाम् । विनाशयति संभूता लोहं लोहमलो यथा
Transliteration
anādyaṃtā tu sā tṛṣṇā hyaṃtardehagatā nṛṇām | vināśayati saṃbhūtā lohaṃ lohamalo yathā
Translation
那渴爱（tṛṣṇā）无始无终，潜居于人身之内；一旦生起，便毁坏其人，如锈蚀吞噬铁一般。
Word by Word
अनाद्यन्ताbeginningless and endless
अनाद्यन्ता:
Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअनादि + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘without beginning and end’
तुbut, indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)
साthat
सा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
तृष्णाcraving
तृष्णा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle/emphasis)
अन्तर्देहगताhaving entered inside the body
अन्तर्देहगता:
Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + देह + गत (कृदन्त/PPP)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘gone/entered’; विशेषण
नृणाम्of men, of humans
नृणाम्:
Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootनृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
विनाशयतिdestroys
विनाशयति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि + नश् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense) ‘causes to perish/destroys’
सम्भूताhaving arisen
सम्भूता:
Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम् + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त/PPP)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘arisen/produced’
लोहम्iron
लोहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootलोह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
लोहमलःrust of iron
लोहमलः:
Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootलोह + मल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपमान-वाचक
यथाas, like
यथा:
Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमानबोधक-अव्यय (comparative particle: as/like)
Speaker
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Close allegory: an iron sword or vessel slowly covered by reddish rust labeled ‘tṛṣṇā’; beside it, a human figure with a faint inner red corrosion at the heart, contrasted with a polished, shining iron symbolizing contentment.
FAQs
Craving is an inner corrosion; when indulged it consumes one’s life from within, like rust eating iron.
No holy place is named; this is a general dharma instruction.
None directly; the implied remedy is sustained inner purification and restraint.