Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

आरण्यकमधीत्यापि बाणसाम्नोरपि ध्वनौ । अनध्यायेषु चैतेषु चाधीयीत न वै क्वचित्

Transliteration

āraṇyakamadhītyāpi bāṇasāmnorapi dhvanau | anadhyāyeṣu caiteṣu cādhīyīta na vai kvacit

Translation

Selbst wenn man die Āraṇyaka-Abschnitte studiert, und selbst wenn man den Klang von Pfeilen und Schlachtgetöse hört — an diesen anadhyāya-Zeiten soll man nirgends überhaupt studieren.

Word by Word

• आरण्यकम्: the Āraṇyaka (text)
• आरण्यकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘Āraṇyaka’ (Vedic text)

• अधीत्य: having studied
• अधीत्य: Kriya (Non-finite verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); धातु: इ (गत्यर्थ) उपसर्ग: अधि; अर्थः ‘having studied/recited’

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• बाणसाम्नोः: of (the sounds of) arrow and sāman-chant
• बाणसाम्नोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण + सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः—बाणं च साम च (सामन्) = बाणसाम्नी; तयोः षष्ठी-द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• ध्वनौ: at the sound/noise
• ध्वनौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अनध्यायेषु: in times of non-study
• अनध्यायेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; ‘anadhyāya’ = time of non-study

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘in these’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अधीयीत: should study
• अधीयीत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-इ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन; धातु: इ (अध्ययनार्थे) उपसर्ग: अधि; अर्थः ‘should study/recite’

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Desha/Kaala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hermitage at the edge of a battlefield: arrows whistle in the distance; a student rolls up a manuscript, guru signals restraint; protective calm within amid outer turmoil.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred learning requires an atmosphere of steadiness and purity; disturbance and inauspicious times call for restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on discipline in scriptural study.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enjoins strict avoidance of study on anadhyāya times, regardless of the text being studied (even Āraṇyakas).