Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

गुरोरप्यवलिप्तस्य कार्याकार्यमजानतः । उत्पथे वर्तमानस्य परित्यागो विधीयते

Transliteration

gurorapyavaliptasya kāryākāryamajānataḥ | utpathe vartamānasya parityāgo vidhīyate

Translation

Même un maître—s’il est orgueilleux, incapable de discerner ce qui doit ou ne doit pas être fait, et s’engage sur une voie dévoyée—peut être légitimement abandonné ; tel renoncement est prescrit par le dharma.

Word by Word

• गुरोः: of a teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक (even/also)

• अवलिप्तस्य: of (one who is) arrogant
• अवलिप्तस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवलिप्त (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from अव-लिप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘arrogant/conceited’

• कार्य: what should be done
• कार्य: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (समाहारद्वन्द्वे पूर्वपद)

• अकार्य: what should not be done
• अकार्य: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (समाहारद्वन्द्वे उत्तरपद)

• अजानतः: of (one who is) not knowing
• अजानतः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-जानत् (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा शतृ, नञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले ‘not knowing’

• उत्पथे: on the wrong path
• उत्पथे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वर्तमानस्य: of (one who is) proceeding
• वर्तमानस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तमान (प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘being/acting’

• परित्यागः: abandonment
• परित्यागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narrative context (speaker not explicit in this verse; within Sūta’s narration in the adhyāya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a proud teacher on a raised seat, eyes narrowed, while a calm disciple turns away toward a righteous path; a symbolic forked road shows 'mārga' vs 'utpatha'.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma prioritizes right conduct over status; a guru who is arrogant and on an unrighteous path may be left.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is ethical instruction within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it states a dharmic rule regarding abandoning an unfit teacher.