Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

न तत्त्वज्ञासि गिरिजे नाहं निंदापरस्तव । चाटूक्तिबुद्ध्या कृतवांस्त वाहं नर्मकीर्तनम्

Transliteration

na tattvajñāsi girije nāhaṃ niṃdāparastava | cāṭūktibuddhyā kṛtavāṃsta vāhaṃ narmakīrtanam

Translation

O Girijā, you do not grasp the truth—and I am not one who delights in censuring you. It was only with a mind set on playful flattery that I uttered those teasing words.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तत्त्वज्ञ: knower of reality
• तत्त्वज्ञ: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: तत्त्व + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गिरिजे: O Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निन्दापरः: intent on blame; given to censure
• निन्दापरः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्दापर (प्रातिपदिक: निन्दा + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• चाटूक्तिबुद्ध्या: with a mind of flattery
• चाटूक्तिबुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाटूक्ति + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: चाटूक्तिः एव बुद्धिः (कर्मधारयार्थः अपि)

• कृतवान्: have done; did
• कृतवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle/agentive), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नर्मकीर्तनम्: playful talk; joking praise
• नर्मकीर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्म + कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks softly to Girijā, palms open in reassurance; Pārvatī’s posture loosens from anger to listening, the atmosphere warming from storm to calm.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intimate speech should be guided by truth and care; playful words can wound, so one should clarify intent and avoid blame.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a domestic-divine dialogue within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on conduct (vāṅ-nīti), not a rite.