Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

नोपदिष्टाविमौ बालौ कदाचिदपि केनचित् । एषा स्वाभाविकी वृत्तिः कथमासीत्कुमारयोः

Transliteration

nopadiṣṭāvimau bālau kadācidapi kenacit | eṣā svābhāvikī vṛttiḥ kathamāsītkumārayoḥ

Translation

Diese beiden Knaben wurden niemals von irgendjemandem unterwiesen, nicht ein einziges Mal. Wie konnte dann bei den beiden Jünglingen eine solche natürliche Neigung entstehen?

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• उपदिष्टौ: instructed (both)
• उपदिष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• बालौ: boys/children (two)
• बालौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वाभाविकी: natural/innate
• स्वाभाविकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वभाविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वृत्तिः: conduct/behavior
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Avyaya (Question/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कुमारयोः: of the two youths
• कुमारयोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन

Speaker

Kāśmīra-rāja (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parāśara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, perplexed, questions how such devotion arose without instruction; Parāśara sits composed, ready to reveal the hidden past.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often attribute spontaneous devotion to past merits and deep saṃskāras ripening in the present life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal inquiry into the origin of devotion and disposition.