Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नोवाच किंचिद्दुर्मेधावचो मानुपुरःसरम् । नाह्वानं नासनं तस्य न विसर्जनमेव च

Transliteration

novāca kiṃciddurmedhāvaco mānupuraḥsaram | nāhvānaṃ nāsanaṃ tasya na visarjanameva ca

Translation

Doch der Törichte sagte nichts – keine höflichen Worte des Willkommens. Er lud ihn weder ein, noch bot er ihm einen Sitz an, noch verabschiedete er ihn angemessen.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indefinite ‘anything’)

• दुर्मेधाः: the foolish one
• दुर्मेधाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दुष्टा मेधा यस्य)

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानु: human
• मानु: Karman-viseshana (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• पुरःसरम्: as a leader/at the forefront
• पुरःसरम्: Karman-viseshana (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पुरःसर’ = अग्रगामी/पुरतः स्थित

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• आह्वानम्: invitation/calling
• आह्वानम्: Karman (Object; omitted verb ‘अकरोत्/ददौ’ implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-ह्वा (धातु) + ल्युट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun: calling/invitation)

• न: nor
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: Karman (Object; hospitality item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: nor
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विसर्जनम्: dismissal/leave-taking
• विसर्जनम्: Karman (Object; hospitality item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-सृज् (धातु) + ल्युट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (dismissal/leave-taking)

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomāśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati stands waiting; devas look uneasy; Indra remains seated, silent and inattentive—no invitation, no seat offered; tension replaces festivity.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (implied)
• Bṛhaspati (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglecting the guru and basic dharmic etiquette is a grave fault that leads to decline, even for the powerful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is ethical instruction through mythic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is given, but dharmic conduct is implied: welcome (āhvāna), offering a seat (āsana), and respectful send-off (visarjana).