Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

काकप्राये नरे यस्मिन्रमंते तामसा जनाः । हंसोऽयमिति देवानां कोऽर्थस्तेन विचिंत्यताम्

Transliteration

kākaprāye nare yasminramaṃte tāmasā janāḥ | haṃso'yamiti devānāṃ ko'rthastena viciṃtyatām

Translation

Quand des gens tamasiques se complaisent en un homme « semblable au corbeau », quel sens les dieux auraient-ils à le considérer comme un « cygne » ? Qu’on y réfléchisse.

Word by Word

• kākaprāye: in a crow-like (base)
• kākaprāye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक) + prāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; विशेषण (qualifying nare: ‘crow-like/mostly crowish’)

• nare: in a man
• nare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular (in a man)

• yasmin: in whom
• yasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Relative pronoun, locative singular (in whom)

• ramaṃte: delight/enjoy
• ramaṃte: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद — 3rd person plural present (they delight)

• tāmasāḥ: tamasic
• tāmasāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifying janāḥ: ‘tamasic/dark’)

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural (people)

• haṃsaḥ: a swan
• haṃsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (swan)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun (this)

• iti: thus/‘…’
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of the gods)

• kaḥ: what?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Interrogative pronoun (what?/which?)

• arthaḥ: meaning/purpose
• arthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (meaning/purpose)

• tena: by that/with that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by that/with that)

• viciṃtyatām: let it be considered
• viciṃtyatām: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √cint (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (भावे/कर्मणि) — Let it be considered/reflected upon

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowd of dark-clad tamasic figures garland a crow-headed man, while luminous devas look away; a swan stands apart near a lotus lake, symbolizing the divine standard of purity.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Haṃsa (swan metaphor)
• Kāka (crow metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discernment matters: do not glorify low conduct as purity; character is known by the company it attracts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse uses ethical metaphors rather than praising a particular sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No; it advises reflection and discernment (viveka) rather than a ritual act.