Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

काकारावैः किमतैर्वो यद्यस्ति ज्ञानशालिता । व्याकुरुध्वं ततः प्रश्रान्मम दुर्विषहान्बहून्

Transliteration

kākārāvaiḥ kimatairvo yadyasti jñānaśālitā | vyākurudhvaṃ tataḥ praśrānmama durviṣahānbahūn

Translation

ما نفعُ هذه النعقاتِ كنعقِ الغرابِ وهذه الخصومات، إن كان فيكم علمٌ حقّ؟ فبيّنوا إذن أسئلتي الكثيرة، وإن كانت عسيرة الاحتمال وصعبة الفهم.

Word by Word

• काकारावैः: by/with the sounds ‘kā-kā’ (cawing)
• काकारावैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकाराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• किमतैः: with what use?/by what (means)
• किमतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किमत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• वः: of you / your
• वः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (enclitic)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd sg

• ज्ञानशालिता: learnedness / possession of knowledge
• ज्ञानशालिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ज्ञानस्य शालिता (possessing knowledge)

• व्याकुरुध्वम्: explain / expound
• व्याकुरुध्वम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperative, 2nd pl; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: sequence/source)

• प्रश्रान्: questions
• प्रश्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• दुर्विषहान्: hard-to-bear
• दुर्विषहान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-वि-षह (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; कृदन्तः (विषह्-शक्य) ‘hard to endure’

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

Speaker

Narrator (unnamed first-person; likely Sūta’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A group of brāhmaṇas/munis (elders)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned questioner silences a group engaged in noisy argument, demanding meaningful answers; sages sit in a semi-circle, the speaker standing with raised hand in admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas (implied)
• Praśna (questions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge is proven by clear answers and insight, not by loud disputation; dharmic debate serves truth, not ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the praised āśrama-region narrative; it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it recommends a discipline of inquiry and explanation as a form of dharmic conduct.