Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तदेतत्पालनीयं स्याद्भूमिजानां श्रुतिर्वदेत् । त्वया नास्तिक्यवाक्येन चेदेतदभिधीयते

Transliteration

tadetatpālanīyaṃ syādbhūmijānāṃ śrutirvadet | tvayā nāstikyavākyena cedetadabhidhīyate

Translation

Cela doit véritablement être observé — ainsi l’enseigne la tradition transmise parmi les êtres nés sur la terre. Mais si tu l’énonces avec des paroles d’incrédulité, qu’on ne le reçoive pas de cette manière.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• पालनीयं: to be protected/observed
• पालनीयं: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् (धातु) + अनीयर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory) (Neuter, Nom, Singular)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular)

• भूमिजानाम्: of the earth-born (people)
• भूमिजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिज (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• श्रुतिः: the Vedic revelation (Śruti)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• वदेत्: would/should say
• वदेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• नास्तिक्यवाक्येन: with an atheistic statement
• नास्तिक्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक्य-वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक; नास्तिक्य + वाक्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अभिधीयते: is stated/expressed
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्गः अभि; (अभि+√धा)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) (3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly: an elder teacher admonishes a disputant, emphasizing that sacred injunctions must be preserved and not voiced with disbelief; palm-leaf manuscripts of śruti and purāṇa lie nearby.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be upheld with reverent intent; cynical or faithless framing undermines right teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the emphasis is on maintaining dharma as validated by tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is general observance (pālana) of dharma; no specific rite is detailed.