Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

जानन्नात्मानमल्पत्वाद्बुद्धेर्न स्तौषि यादवम् । तत्किमर्थं महावीर्यं न स्तौष्यर्जुनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

jānannātmānamalpatvādbuddherna stauṣi yādavam | tatkimarthaṃ mahāvīryaṃ na stauṣyarjunamuttamam

Translation

নিজেকে বুদ্ধিতে সীমিত জেনে তুমি যাদব (কৃষ্ণ)-এর স্তব কর না; তবে কেন মহাবীর্যশালী, পরম উৎকৃষ্ট অর্জুনেরও স্তব কর না?

Word by Word

• जानन्: knowing
• जानन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अल्पत्वात्: because of smallness/insignificance
• अल्पत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बुद्धेः: of (your) intellect
• बुद्धेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Abl. 6th/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• स्तौषि: you praised
• स्तौषि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यादवम्: the Yādava (Kṛṣṇa)
• यादवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: then/therefore
• तत्: Avyaya (Discourse connector/निपातवत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Avyaya (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थम्: purpose/reason
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महावीर्यम्: great valor
• महावीर्यम्: Visheshya/Visheshana (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('great' + 'valor'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• स्तौष्य: will you praise
• स्तौष्य: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Deducted (contextual): A Pāṇḍava addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (likely Bhīma, given later self-references)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective exchange: a speaker points out the logic of humility and the inconsistency of withholding praise from Kṛṣṇa yet also not praising Arjuna; faces show contemplation rather than anger.

Characters & Entities

• Yādava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Arjuna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not let self-doubt or limited understanding prevent rightful praise of the virtuous and divinely empowered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on dhārmic praise (stuti) within a Puranic dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the instruction is ethical—offer fitting praise to the worthy.