Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिमुवाचेदं वाक्यं वाक्यविदां वरः । ऐरावतो न दृश्येत तथैवोच्चैःश्रवा हयः

Transliteration

bṛhaspatimuvācedaṃ vākyaṃ vākyavidāṃ varaḥ | airāvato na dṛśyeta tathaivoccaiḥśravā hayaḥ

Translation

Le plus habile en paroles dit à Bṛhaspati : «Qu’Airāvata ne soit pas vu ; et de même, que le cheval Uccaiḥśravā ne soit pas vu».

Word by Word

• bṛhaspatim: Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• uvāca: said, spoke
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vākyam: statement, sentence
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vākya-vidām: of the knowers of speech/eloquence
• vākya-vidām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक: ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वाक्यं वेत्ति इति)

• varaḥ: the best
• varaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• airāvataḥ: Airāvata (Indra’s elephant)
• airāvataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: airāvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; गजविशेषः

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• dṛśyeta: should be seen / would appear
• dṛśyeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Uccaiḥśravas (celestial horse)
• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccaiḥśravas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अश्वविशेषः

• hayaḥ: horse
• hayaḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (uccaiḥśravāḥ)

Speaker

Indra (Purandara) speaking to Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati is addressed by a master orator; in the background, Indra’s court looks unsettled—empty stall where Airāvata should stand, and an unoccupied golden tether for Uccaiḥśravā.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Purandara)
• Bṛhaspati
• Airāvata
• Uccaiḥśravā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine authority can be unsettled by inner conflict; counsel and restraint become necessary to restore order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it forms part of the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s wider sacred narrative sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an administrative command within the celestial narrative.