Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 172

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी समायात एक एव न चापरः । पठनादौ महाराज चागतस्तव सन्निधौ । किमर्थं तन्न जानीमो जानीहि त्वं महामते

Transliteration

brahmacārī samāyāta eka eva na cāparaḥ | paṭhanādau mahārāja cāgatastava sannidhau | kimarthaṃ tanna jānīmo jānīhi tvaṃ mahāmate

Translation

« Un brahmacārin est venu — un seul, nul autre. Ô grand roi, il est arrivé en ta présence en récitant les Veda. Dans quel dessein, nous l’ignorons ; toi, ô très sage, discerne-le. »

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समायातः: has come
• समायातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (emphatic particle)

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (elliptic: ‘another (one)’)

• पठनादौ: at the beginning of recitation
• पठनादौ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पठन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—पठनादौ = पठनस्य आदौ (at the beginning of recitation/study)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सन्निधौ: in (your) presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: why, for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Hetu-prashna (Reason-question/हेतुप्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: ‘for what reason’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; (object of ‘know’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• जानीमः: we know
• जानीमः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• जानीहि: know (you)!
• जानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṇḍa and Marka (reporting to Bali)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of sages/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two messengers stand before Bali, reporting a lone brahmacārin reciting Veda who has arrived at the king’s presence; Bali listens, thoughtful and alert.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārin (Vāmana)
• Bali
• Śaṇḍa
• Marka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic king must read situations wisely, especially when a holy guest arrives with the aura of Vedic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s holy ambience is implied by the arrival of a brahmacārin reciting sacred words within the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; the mention of recitation (paṭhana) highlights Vedic sanctity accompanying the guest.