Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ततः सुसंयतो भूत्वा प्रणवं समुदीरयन् । कथं न यासि मार्गे त्वं वृथालापो हि दोषभाक्

Transliteration

tataḥ susaṃyato bhūtvā praṇavaṃ samudīrayan | kathaṃ na yāsi mārge tvaṃ vṛthālāpo hi doṣabhāk

Translation

Darum, wohlbeherrscht geworden und den Praṇava (Oṃ) ertönen lassend: Warum schreitest du nicht auf dem rechten Pfad? Denn müßiges Gerede trägt wahrlich Schuld.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• सु: well/very
• सु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश उपपद/उपसर्गार्थक (intensifier)

• संयतः: restrained
• संयतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + यम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रणवम्: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समुदीरयन्: uttering/aloud reciting
• समुदीरयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद् + ईर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रियासहचर (while uttering)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• यासि: you go
• यासि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वृथा: vainly
• वृथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in vain)

• आलापः: talk/speech
• आलापः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• दोषभाक्: partaking of fault; blameworthy
• दोषभाक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-समास (दोषं भजते इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of vṛthālāpaḥ)

Speaker

Deducted (contextual): Bhīma advising Yudhiṣṭhira (ethical exhortation concluding the complaint)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm teacher-guardian instructs the devotee: sit/stand composed, utter Oṃ, and proceed on the proper path. The background suggests a road or sacred path; idle talk is depicted as scattered speech-scrolls dissolving into dust.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practice self-restraint, align with the dhārmic path, and avoid useless speech that produces दोष (fault).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches inner discipline (saṃyama) and sacred utterance (Praṇava).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uttering the Praṇava (Oṃ) is indicated as a disciplining devotional practice (japa/uccāraṇa).