Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

ततो विचार्य बहुधा इति चेति च सा शुभा । विप्रस्योद्धरणं सर्वधर्मेभ्योऽमन्यताधिकम्

Transliteration

tato vicārya bahudhā iti ceti ca sā śubhā | viprasyoddharaṇaṃ sarvadharmebhyo'manyatādhikam

Translation

Darauf erwog die glückverheißende Göttin vieles: „Ist es so, oder ist es nicht?“ Und sie gelangte zu dem Schluss, dass die Rettung des Brāhmaṇa alle anderen Pflichten des Dharma überwiege.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (having considered)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/संख्या-वाचक-अव्यय (in many ways)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक (quotative particle)

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक

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

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious, good
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विप्रस्य: of the brahmin
• विप्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उद्धरणम्: rescuing, lifting up
• उद्धरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्-धरण (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वधर्मेभ्यः: from/than all duties
• सर्वधर्मेभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे धर्माः)

• अमन्यत: she considered
• अमन्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अधिकम्: greater, superior
• अधिकम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The goddess pauses, contemplative, weighing options (‘iti ceti ca’), then resolves: rescuing the brāhmaṇa surpasses all other dharmas.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Goddess)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In dharma, urgent compassion and protection of life can surpass secondary religious observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it ranks the act of rescue (uddharaṇa) above other dharmas.