Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

येषां मध्ये बालबुद्धिरियमेतादृशी स्फुटा । हारीतप्रमुखानां हि का वै बुद्धिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ madhye bālabuddhiriyametādṛśī sphuṭā | hārītapramukhānāṃ hi kā vai buddhirbhaviṣyati

Translation

Si, parmi eux, même l’intelligence d’un enfant est si claire et distincte, quelle sera donc la sagesse de ceux que conduit Hārīta—à quoi ressemblera vraiment leur discernement !

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• मध्ये: in the midst; among
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• बालबुद्धिः: childish intellect
• बालबुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; (बुद्धिः इति पदस्य निर्देश)

• एतादृशी: such; of this kind
• एतादृशी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (इयम्/बुद्धिः)

• स्फुटा: clear; evident
• स्फुटा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण

• हारीतप्रमुखानाम्: of those headed by Hārīta
• हारीतप्रमुखानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारीत + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; (हारीतादयः प्रमुखाः येषां ते)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (particle: indeed/for)

• का: what? which?
• का: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominal/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• वै: indeed; surely
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/खलु (emphatic particle)

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

Speaker

Bhāskara (Sūrya) (deduced from continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful student (bāla) speaking with striking clarity in the midst of elder sages; elders exchange glances of astonishment, indicating the power of lineage and learning.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta
• Brāhmaṇas
• Child (bāla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discernment is measured by clarity and dharmic insight, not merely by age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a commendation of wisdom within a brāhmaṇa assembly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is rhetorical praise of discernment.