Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 158

Devanagari script

परिवादं न श्रृमुयादन्येषामपि जल्पताम् । सदा चा कर्णयेद्धमास्त्यक्त्वा कृत्यशतान्यपि

Transliteration

parivādaṃ na śrṛmuyādanyeṣāmapi jalpatām | sadā cā karṇayeddhamāstyaktvā kṛtyaśatānyapi

Translation

Er soll keine Verleumdung anhören, selbst wenn andere sie aussprechen. Vielmehr soll er, selbst wenn er Hunderte von Pflichten beiseitelegt, stets den Lehren des Dharma sein Ohr leihen.

Word by Word

• परिवादम्: slander, backbiting
• परिवादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• शृणुयात्: should listen (to)
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; पाठभेदः—IAST ‘śrṛmuyād’ अशुद्धलेखः, अपेक्षितं ‘शृणुयात्’

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• जल्पताम्: (of) those speaking
• जल्पताम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जल्प् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘जल्पत्’ = speaking; ‘अन्येषाम् ... जल्पताम्’ = ‘of others who are speaking’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• आ: fully, attentively
• आ: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय (intensifier/limit ‘up to, fully’)

• कर्णयेत्: should listen/hear
• कर्णयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कर्णय् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘make hear’ = listen attentively)

• धर्मान्: duties, righteous teachings
• धर्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; पाठभेदः—IAST ‘dhamās’ अशुद्धलेखः, अपेक्षितं ‘धर्मान्’

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• कृत्य-शतानि: hundreds of tasks
• कृत्य-शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृत्यानि शतानि = hundreds of tasks)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim turns away from a group engaged in gossip; instead he sits near a sage reciting dharma, with listeners attentive, manuscripts and rosaries present.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guard the mind by refusing slander and nourish it through constant listening to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it is a general instruction on ethical listening and dharma-study.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of śravaṇa: deliberately avoid hearing slander and prioritize hearing dharma.