Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मे ज्ञानिनः सर्वे प्रियाः स्युर्नात्र संशयः । विना ज्ञानेन मां प्राप्तुं यतंते ते हि बालिशः

Transliteration

tasmānme jñāninaḥ sarve priyāḥ syurnātra saṃśayaḥ | vinā jñānena māṃ prāptuṃ yataṃte te hi bāliśaḥ

Translation

Ainsi, tous les sages me sont chers—il n’y a là aucun doute. Ceux qui s’efforcent de m’atteindre sans connaissance sont véritablement puérils.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-निपात (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ज्ञानिनः: knowers, the wise
• ज्ञानिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ज्ञानिनः)

• प्रियाः: dear
• प्रियाः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• स्युः: would be / are (in sense)
• स्युः: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• अत्र: here / in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like indeclinable) governing तृतीया (instrumental)

• ज्ञानेन: by knowledge / with knowledge
• ज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तुम्: to attain
• प्राप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive) ‘to attain’

• यतन्ते: strive
• यतन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/हेतु-बोधक-निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• बालिशाः: fools, ignorant ones
• बालिशाः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Hara/Rudra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijasattama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks with gentle firmness: the wise devotee is closest; a contrast is shown between a restless ritualist and a serene knower seated in meditation near the liṅga, mountains silent behind.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is completed by jñāna (right understanding); devotion and effort without insight remain immature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the kṣetra’s greatness is linked not only to outward pilgrimage but to inner realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse prioritizes knowledge as essential for true attainment.