Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

अथ वा किं च नः कार्यं वादेन सह ब्राह्मणैः । कर्णौ पिधाय यास्यामो यथा यः स्यात्ततास्तु सः

Transliteration

atha vā kiṃ ca naḥ kāryaṃ vādena saha brāhmaṇaiḥ | karṇau pidhāya yāsyāmo yathā yaḥ syāttatāstu saḥ

Translation

Ou bien, qu’avons-nous à débattre avec des brāhmanes ? Allons-nous-en en nous bouchant les deux oreilles ; que ce qui doit advenir advienne.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle: ‘now/then’)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (alternative particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object—elliptic/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) बहुवचन (genitive plural) / वैकल्पिकं चतुर्थी बहुवचन; अत्र ‘नः कार्यम्’ = अस्माकम्

• कार्यम्: business/need
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• वादेन: with argument/dispute
• वादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition ‘with’), तृतीया-सहयोगी

• ब्राह्मणैः: with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कर्णौ: (the) two ears
• कर्णौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन

• पिधाय: having covered/closed
• पिधाय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• यास्यामः: we shall go
• यास्यामः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन

• यथा: as/so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative/conjunctive adverb: ‘as/so that’)

• यः: who/whatever (he)
• यः: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: ‘so/thus’)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Benedictive/imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: that (one)/he
• सः: Karta (Subject of main clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

Speaker

Character within the story (companions), narrator default: Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two women decide not to argue with brāhmaṇas; they cover their ears and turn away, walking off with composed faces, leaving the dispute behind.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When discourse becomes harmful, withdrawal and restraint protect dharma better than winning arguments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it is an ethical and narrative verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical observance: avoid hearing adharma by covering the ears and leaving the scene.