Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । यत्त्वयोक्तं च वचनं न हि मे रोचते प्रिये । ब्राह्मणा हि महद्भूतं न चैषां विप्रियं चरेत्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | yattvayoktaṃ ca vacanaṃ na hi me rocate priye | brāhmaṇā hi mahadbhūtaṃ na caiṣāṃ vipriyaṃ caret

Translation

Īśvara dit : «Bien-aimée, les paroles que tu as prononcées ne me plaisent point. Les brāhmaṇas sont une grande puissance sacrée ; aussi ne faut-il jamais agir d’une manière qui leur soit déplaisante.»

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular perfect)

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular ‘by you’)

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वचनम्: speech; statement
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधान/हेतु-सूचक (particle: indeed/for)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive/dative singular ‘to me/of me’; here dative sense)

• रोचते: pleases; is agreeable
• रोचते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular present)

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधान/हेतु-सूचक (particle)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (great)

• भूतम्: being; entity
• भूतम्: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महत्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य (being/entity)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and/nor
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; ‘न च’ = ‘nor’

• एषाम्: of them
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural ‘of these/of them’)

• विप्रियम्: what is displeasing
• विप्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• चरेत्: should do; should act
• चरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular optative ‘should do/behave’)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī/Devī (implied by ‘priye’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva gently but firmly rejects the proposal, addressing ‘priye’, emphasizing the formidable sanctity of brāhmaṇas; the mood is calm, corrective, and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Devī
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes restraint and reverence: do not commit actions that displease Brāhmaṇas, who are portrayed as a potent sacred force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Revā Khaṇḍa context (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), though this particular line focuses on dharma toward Brāhmaṇas rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the injunction is ethical—avoid vipriya (offense) toward Brāhmaṇas.