Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

विरुद्धं यत्त्रिवर्गेण न्यूनं कष्टातिशब्दकम् । व्युत्क्रमाभिहृतं यच् सशेषं चाप्यहेतुकम्

Transliteration

viruddhaṃ yattrivargeṇa nyūnaṃ kaṣṭātiśabdakam | vyutkramābhihṛtaṃ yac saśeṣaṃ cāpyahetukam

Translation

Speech is faulty when it opposes the three aims of life—dharma, artha, and kāma—when it is deficient, when it is harsh or overstated, when it is uttered in disordered sequence, when it is incomplete, and when it is spoken without proper cause.

Word by Word

• विरुद्धम्: contradictory
• विरुद्धम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरुद्ध (कृदन्त; √रुध् with वि-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object—relative/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• त्रिवर्गेण: by the triad (threefold classification)
• त्रिवर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः वर्गाः)

• न्यूनम्: deficient
• न्यूनम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कष्टातिशब्दकम्: using harsh/excessive words
• कष्टातिशब्दकम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिशब्दक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कष्टं अतिशब्दकं यत्)

• व्युत्क्रमाभिहृतम्: expressed in inverted order
• व्युत्क्रमाभिहृतम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्युत्क्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिहृत (कृदन्त; √हृ with अभि-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (व्युत्क्रमेण अभिहृतम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object—relative/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सशेषम्: with something left over/incomplete
• सशेषम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘स-’ उपसर्गः (with remainder)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

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

• अहेतुकम्: causeless/without reason
• अहेतुकम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहेतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced, Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like teaching: the speaker lays out dharma-aligned points in orderly sequence on a board/manuscript; a contrasting figure speaks chaotically and is gently corrected; emphasis on ‘krama’ and ‘hetu’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous speech supports dharma and should be coherent, complete, and purposeful—never harsh, confused, or baseless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches general purāṇic dharma about disciplined speech.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is prescribed; the instruction is an inner discipline—purifying speech by avoiding recognized faults.