Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

सुमेधा उवाच । मैवं कथय मर्यादां मा हिंसीर्मदमत्तवत् । आवां विज्ञातशास्त्रार्थौ त्वमेवं भाषसे कथम्

Transliteration

sumedhā uvāca | maivaṃ kathaya maryādāṃ mā hiṃsīrmadamattavat | āvāṃ vijñātaśāstrārthau tvamevaṃ bhāṣase katham

Translation

Sumedhā said: “Do not speak so—do not violate propriety, like one intoxicated with pride. We both understand the purport of the śāstras; how, then, do you speak in this manner?”

Word by Word

• सुमेधा: Sumedhā
• सुमेधा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (prohibitive)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this way)

• कथय: speak/say
• कथय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मर्यादाम्: propriety, boundary of conduct
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (prohibitive)

• हिंसीः: harm/violate
• हिंसीः: Kriya (Prohibited action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/prohibitive with मा), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मद-मत्त-वत्: like one intoxicated with pride
• मद-मत्त-वत्: Visheshana (Simile adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + मत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (like/as)

• आवाम्: we two
• आवाम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम (we two)

• विज्ञात-शास्त्र-अर्थौ: knowers of the meaning of the scriptures
• विज्ञात-शास्त्र-अर्थौ: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्ञात (वि+ज्ञा धातु, क्त) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (qualifier of आवाम्)

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

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• भाषसे: you speak
• भाषसे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Visheshana (Interrogative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

Speaker

Sumedhā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sumedhā raises a hand in admonition; his face stern yet composed; Sāmavatī’s confident expression wavers as she is confronted with śāstric propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Sumedhā
• Sāmavatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by maryādā (ethical boundaries) and by remembering the śāstric meaning, not by surrendering to pride or passion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct ethical instruction to uphold maryādā.