Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

शशविषाणमेवैतज्त्रानं संसार एव च । किं कार्यं बहुनोक्तेन वचसा निष्फलेन हि

Transliteration

śaśaviṣāṇamevaitajtrānaṃ saṃsāra eva ca | kiṃ kāryaṃ bahunoktena vacasā niṣphalena hi

Translation

هذا «العِلم» كقَرْنِ الأرنب—وكذلك السَّمسارة (إذا عُدَّت حقيقةً نهائية). فما جدوى الإكثار من الكلام، وكلماته في الحقيقة عقيمة؟

Word by Word

• शश-विषाणम्: a hare’s horn (non-existent thing)
• शश-विषाणम्: Pradhana-visheshya (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक) + विषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शशस्य विषाणम्)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Pratipadyam (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्राणम्: protection/refuge
• त्राणम्: Pradhana-visheshya (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संसारः: worldly existence (saṃsāra)
• संसारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

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

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• कार्यम्: need/purpose
• कार्यम्: Prashna-vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बहुना: with much (talk)
• बहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• उक्तेन: by what is said
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (that which is said)

• वचसा: by speech/words
• वचसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• निष्फलेन: fruitless
• निष्फलेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वचसा)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage gestures to a mythical hare with no horn, illustrating impossibility; nearby, a crowd of debaters fades into silence as the sage turns inward toward the Kedāra liṅga—speech dissolving into realization.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere talk and conceptual ‘knowledge’ are empty; the teaching points to direct realization beyond verbal elaboration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kedāra Khaṇḍa’s Kedāra context, but it does not directly praise a particular shrine or spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it discourages fruitless verbosity and implies the need for lived realization.