Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

बाल उवाच । सम्यगेतद्यथा पृष्टं यत्र मुह्यंति जंतवः । श्रृण्वेकाग्रमना भूत्वा ज्ञातं द्वैपायनान्मया

Transliteration

bāla uvāca | samyagetadyathā pṛṣṭaṃ yatra muhyaṃti jaṃtavaḥ | śrṛṇvekāgramanā bhūtvā jñātaṃ dvaipāyanānmayā

Translation

Bāla sprach: Du hast recht gefragt — gerade an diesem Punkt geraten die Wesen in Verblendung. Höre mit einspitzigem Geist; dies habe ich von Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) erfahren.

Word by Word

• बालः: Bāla (the boy)
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (properly, correctly)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as, in the manner)

• पृष्टम्: asked
• पृष्टम्: Karma (Object as queried)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle): नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “asked”

• यत्र: wherein
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/विषयार्थक-अव्यय (where/wherein)

• मुह्यन्ति: become deluded
• मुह्यन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• जन्तवः: creatures
• जन्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• एकाग्रमनाः: with one-pointed mind
• एकाग्रमनाः: Karta (Addressee-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्र + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एकाग्रं मनः यस्य); विशेषण (of implied ‘त्वम्’)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): “having become”

• ज्ञातम्: known, understood
• ज्ञातम्: Karma (Object known)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle): नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “known/understood”

• द्वैपायनात्: from Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• द्वैपायनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

Speaker

Bāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: An inquirer (unnamed in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bāla, youthful yet radiant, seated near a sage’s seat with palm-leaf manuscripts; the listener sits respectfully; above them, a subtle image of Vyāsa as the source of the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding requires focused listening, and authentic teaching is grounded in a recognized lineage (Vyāsa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse; it introduces an authoritative explanation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practical instruction is mental discipline: listen with ekāgratā (one-pointed attention).