Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । वद ब्राह्मण प्रश्रान्स्वाञ्छ्रुत्वाऽधास्यामहे वयम् । परमो ह्येष नो लाभः प्रक्षान्पृच्छति यद्भवान्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | vada brāhmaṇa praśrānsvāñchrutvā'dhāsyāmahe vayam | paramo hyeṣa no lābhaḥ prakṣānpṛcchati yadbhavān

Translation

Die Brāhmaṇas sprachen: „Sprich, o Brāhmaṇa, deine Fragen; nachdem wir sie gehört haben, werden wir antworten. Dies ist wahrlich unser höchster Gewinn: dass du fragst.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd pl

• वद: speak / tell
• वद: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd sg

• ब्राह्मण: O Brahmin
• ब्राह्मण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रश्रान्: questions
• प्रश्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• स्वान्: our/own
• स्वान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural (agreeing with प्रश्रान्)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — Absolutive/gerund ‘having heard’

• अधास्यामहे: we shall place/settle (them)
• अधास्यामहे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Future, 1st pl; आत्मनेपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• परमः: supreme / greatest
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular (agreeing with लाभः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (enclitic)

• लाभः: gain/benefit
• लाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्रक्षान्: questions
• प्रक्षान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural (textual variant/orthography)

• पृच्छति: asks
• पृच्छति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd sg

• यत्: since/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (relative particle ‘since/that’)

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular (honorific 2nd person)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (assembly of dvijottamas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The brāhmaṇa questioner

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇas responds warmly, palms joined or hands open in invitation, signaling readiness to answer; the questioner sits respectfully before them.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Praśna (questions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere questioning is itself auspicious; a dharmic community considers the chance to clarify truth as its greatest profit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the same sacred āśrama-region; no named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights the spiritual discipline of śravaṇa (hearing) and uttara (answering) within satsanga.