Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

एवं विचिंत्य विद्वांसः प्रकुर्वंति यथारुचि । सत्यमेतद्विभोर्वाक्यं दुर्लभोऽपि यथा हि मे

Transliteration

evaṃ viciṃtya vidvāṃsaḥ prakurvaṃti yathāruci | satyametadvibhorvākyaṃ durlabho'pi yathā hi me

Translation

Thus reflecting, the learned act according to their own inclination. This utterance of the Lord is true, though for me it has indeed been hard to attain.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• विचिन्त्य: having reflected
• विचिन्त्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चिन्त् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having reflected)

• विद्वांसः: the learned (people)
• विद्वांसः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: do/undertake
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथारुचि: as they like
• यथारुचि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (according to one’s liking)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate: true)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Apposition to ‘etat’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग) + लभ (धातु) → दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even/also)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Upamā/Prakāra-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Hetu/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• मे: for me/of mine
• मे: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular; enclitic)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative scholar acknowledges the truth of the Lord’s saying; visual focus on introspection—seated figure with manuscript, gaze lowered, background suggesting the vastness of dharma’s path.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhu (the Lord, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the learned are shaped by inclination; therefore one must consciously align choice with the Lord’s teaching to attain what is truly rare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the emphasis is on the truth of divine instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns contemplation and conduct rather than a formal rite.