Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नीचबुद्धिं न कुर्वीत पुराणज्ञे कदाचन । यस्य वक्त्रांबुजाद्वाणी कामधेनुः शरीरिणाम्

Transliteration

nīcabuddhiṃ na kurvīta purāṇajñe kadācana | yasya vaktrāṃbujādvāṇī kāmadhenuḥ śarīriṇām

Translation

Qu’on n’ait jamais une pensée vile envers le connaisseur du Purāṇa, car du lotus de sa bouche la parole s’écoule telle Kāmadhenū, la vache exauçant les vœux des êtres incarnés.

Word by Word

• नीचबुद्धिम्: low opinion/mean thought
• नीचबुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नीचा बुद्धिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• कुर्वीत: should make/entertain
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should do/make)

• पुराणज्ञे: toward/in the case of a Purāṇa-knower
• पुराणज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति एकवचन (Locative singular)

• कदाचन: ever
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (ever/at any time)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी विभक्ति एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• वक्त्राम्बुजात्: from the lotus of (his) mouth
• वक्त्राम्बुजात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वक्त्रं अम्बुजम् इव/वक्त्रस्य अम्बुजम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• वाणी: speech
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• कामधेनुः: wish-fulfilling cow
• कामधेनुः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामधेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति एकवचन (Nominative singular); उपमा/रूपक-प्रयोग (as wish-fulfilling cow)

• शरीरिणाम्: of embodied beings
• शरीरिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator voice (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paurāṇika’s mouth depicted as a lotus (vaktrāmbuja) from which luminous syllables flow, transforming into a gentle Kāmadhenu that showers boons (food, wisdom, peace) upon listeners; a contrasting figure about to sneer is restrained by elders, symbolizing avajñā-niṣedha.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespecting a Purāṇa-knower is spiritually harmful; their sacred speech is a beneficent source of guidance and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the glorification is of the teacher’s Purāṇic speech.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral injunction: avoid contempt and cultivate reverence toward purāṇajñas (Purāṇa teachers/knowers).