Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततो नानाप्रकारस्य धर्मस्य श्रवणं हि यत् । तदन्नं प्रोच्यते भोक्ता क्षेत्रज्ञः श्रवणौ मुखम्

Transliteration

tato nānāprakārasya dharmasya śravaṇaṃ hi yat | tadannaṃ procyate bhoktā kṣetrajñaḥ śravaṇau mukham

Translation

Therefore, the hearing of dharma in its many forms is called “food.” The enjoyer is the kṣetrajña, the Knower of the Field, and the two ears are said to be its mouth.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थक (ablative adverb: then/thereafter/from that)

• नानाप्रकारस्य: of various kinds
• नानाप्रकारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (नानाः प्रकाराः)

• धर्मस्य: of dharma; of duty/virtue
• धर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन

• श्रवणम्: hearing; listening
• श्रवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (relative)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies अन्नम्)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• प्रोच्यते: is called
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• भोक्ता: the eater; enjoyer
• भोक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोक्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक (तृच्/तृन्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• क्षेत्रज्ञः: knower of the field (kṣetrajña)
• क्षेत्रज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रं जानाति इति)

• श्रवणौ: the two ears
• श्रवणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचन

• मुखम्: mouth; opening
• मुखम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred discourse assembly: the teacher recites dharma; listeners’ ears are highlighted with subtle lotus motifs; a small inner figure (kṣetrajña) in the heart receives the ‘food’ as luminous sound.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Kṣetrajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to dharma is itself nourishment: it feeds the inner knower (kṣetrajña) and transforms life from within.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening to dharma/scriptural teaching) is upheld as a spiritual practice, metaphorically described as the ‘food’ of the Self.