Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

महाव्याहृतिपूर्वं च वेदमध्यापयेद्गुरुः । उपनीय च तं शिष्यं शौचाचारे च योजयेत्

Transliteration

mahāvyāhṛtipūrvaṃ ca vedamadhyāpayedguruḥ | upanīya ca taṃ śiṣyaṃ śaucācāre ca yojayet

Translation

على المعلّم أن يلقّن الفيدا مبتدئاً بالعبارات العظمى (المهاڤيَاهْرِتِي). ثم إذا أقام للتلميذ طقس الإِدخال، فعليه أن يثبّته أيضاً في الطهارة وحسن السلوك.

Word by Word

• महाव्याहृति-पूर्वम्: preceded by the mahāvyāhṛtis
• महाव्याहृति-पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महाव्याहृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (महाव्याहृतिपूर्वम् = having the mahāvyāhṛtis first); अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverbial)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेदम्: the Veda
• वेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अध्यापयेत्: should teach
• अध्यापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आप्/आपय् (धातु) (कारणार्थक-प्रयोगः of √अधि-इ/अधि-आ-इ ‘to study/teach’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) भावः—‘to cause to study/teach’

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उपनीय: having initiated (the student)
• उपनीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having initiated/brought near’

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

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

• शिष्यम्: the student
• शिष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• शौच-आचारे: in purity and proper conduct
• शौच-आचारे: Adhikarana (Location/Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (शौचं च आचारः च); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-समाहारद्वन्द्वे प्रायः नपुंसक; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

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

• योजयेत्: should engage / should instruct (set)
• योजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) ‘to engage/appoint’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru seated on a kuśa-mat under a banyan, right hand raised in teaching mudrā; a newly initiated student sits with folded hands, yajñopavīta visible; above them, the three vyāhṛtis appear as luminous syllables; nearby, a water-pot and clean utensils symbolize śauca.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śiṣya
• Veda
• Mahāvyāhṛti
• Upanayana
• Śauca
• Ācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is transmitted with sacred preparation—mantra, initiation, and disciplined conduct together form true learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is instructional; its placement in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa aligns the teaching with Kāśī’s ideal of purity, learning, and dharmic living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vedic teaching begins with mahāvyāhṛtis, and the disciple is formally initiated (upanayana) and trained in śauca (cleanliness) and ācāra (conduct).