Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

परा चैव तु पश्यंती मध्यमा वैखरी तथा । चतुर्विधानां वचसामीश्वरं त्वां विदुर्बुधाः

Transliteration

parā caiva tu paśyaṃtī madhyamā vaikharī tathā | caturvidhānāṃ vacasāmīśvaraṃ tvāṃ vidurbudhāḥ

Translation

Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā et Vaikharī—tels sont les quatre modes de la parole. Les sages savent que tu en es le Seigneur.

Word by Word

• परा: Parā (highest speech)
• परा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• तु: but/also
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• पश्यन्ती: Paśyantī (the ‘seeing’ level of speech)
• पश्यन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्यत् (कृदन्त, √पश् दर्शने)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मध्यमा: Madhyamā (middle speech)
• मध्यमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैखरी: Vaikharī (uttered speech)
• वैखरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैखरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• चतुर्विधानाम्: of the fourfold
• चतुर्विधानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), (लिङ्गं—वचस्-शब्दानुसारं)

• वचसाम्: of speeches/words
• वचसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord/master
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (ज्ञाने)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बुधाः: the wise
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas/Vipras praising Nīlarūpa Mahādeva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An esoteric tableau: the deity enthroned as Vāk-īśvara; four subtle bands or lotuses labeled parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, vaikharī emanate from the heart/throat/mouth, showing speech descending into sound.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlarūpa (Śiva)
• Parā-Vāk
• Paśyantī
• Madhyamā
• Vaikharī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and speech ultimately arise from and are governed by the Divine; spiritual practice is purified by seeing Śiva as the source of vāk.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse serves the tīrtha-mahātmya by portraying the presiding deity (Nīlarūpa) as the cosmic Lord, making the locale a seat of mantra-power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it implies mantra-oriented devotion and sacred recitation as part of the praise.