Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नूनं त्वमल्पविज्ञानो वेदाधीतास्त्वया वृथा । मातरं सर्वभूतानामंबिकां यन्न मन्यसे

Transliteration

nūnaṃ tvamalpavijñāno vedādhītāstvayā vṛthā | mātaraṃ sarvabhūtānāmaṃbikāṃ yanna manyase

Translation

নিশ্চয় তোমাৰ জ্ঞান অল্প; তোমাৰ বেদ অধ্যয়ন বৃথা গ’ল—কাৰণ তুমি সৰ্বভূতৰ মাতৃ অম্বিকাক মানি নলোৱা।

Word by Word

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• alpa-vijñānaḥ: of little knowledge
• alpa-vijñānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vijñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (अल्पं विज्ञानं यस्य/अल्पविज्ञानः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• veda-adhītāḥ: Vedas studied
• veda-adhītāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīta (adhi-√i/√adhī धातु 'to study' + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदाः अधीताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (in vain)

• mātaram: mother
• mātaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings
• sarva-bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां भूतानाम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ambikām: Ambikā (Goddess)
• ambikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yat: since/that
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्दः; अव्ययवत् सम्बन्धबोधकः (correlative: 'since/that')

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• manyase: you consider/think
• manyase: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (addressing Bhīma, per immediate narrative flow)

Characters & Entities

• Ambikā
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning without reverence for the Divine Mother is deemed incomplete; true wisdom includes devotion and right recognition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse glorifies Devī (Ambikā) as universal Mother.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implies upāsanā—acknowledging and venerating Ambikā.