Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अथवा पारमाहात्म्ये सति तेषां महात्मनाम् । अल्पे कृते वर्णने स्याद्दोष एव महान्मम

Transliteration

athavā pāramāhātmye sati teṣāṃ mahātmanām | alpe kṛte varṇane syāddoṣa eva mahānmama

Translation

Oder vielmehr—da jene großen Seelen eine grenzenlose Erhabenheit besitzen—würde, wenn ich sie nur kurz beschriebe, die große Schuld wahrlich bei mir liegen.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (alternative particle)

• पारमाहात्म्ये: in (its) supreme greatness
• पारमाहात्म्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारमाहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of circumstance)

• सति: being (present)
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + सत् (कृदन्त, शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: सत्-शब्दः; सप्तमी एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी); बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled ones
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी); बहुवचन

• अल्पे: in a small (amount)
• अल्पे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• कृते: when done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: कृत-शब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध (in the case of being done)

• वर्णने: in the description
• वर्णने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दोषः: a fault
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दोषः)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ravi (Sūrya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator (likely Skanda/Kaumāra voice) pauses mid-narration, hands in añjali, expressing that the greatness of the honored brāhmaṇa-saints is boundless and that brief description would be his fault.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahātmanas (the revered Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatness of the righteous is immeasurable; humility is required when speaking of saints and sacred communities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indirectly supports the mahātmya of a sacred community, but does not name a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.