Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मज्ञानं वदत्येकः श्रुत्वा ज्ञानवि शारदः । पश्यत्यन्यो हृषीकेशं चातुर्मास्यं समाहितः

Transliteration

brahmajñānaṃ vadatyekaḥ śrutvā jñānavi śāradaḥ | paśyatyanyo hṛṣīkeśaṃ cāturmāsyaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

L’un, devenu savant après maintes écoutes, expose le brahmajñāna; mais un autre, l’esprit apaisé et concentré, contemple Hṛṣīkeśa durant le Cāturmāsya—cela est célébré comme un accomplissement plus élevé.

Word by Word

• brahmajñānam: knowledge of Brahman
• brahmajñānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman-jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मन् + ज्ञान (ब्रह्म-विषयकं ज्ञानम्)

• vadati: speaks, teaches
• vadati: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• jñānaviśāradaḥ: skilled in knowledge
• jñānaviśāradaḥ: Karta-guṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna-viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञान + विशारद (ज्ञान-निपुणः); विशेषण (एकः)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hṛṣīkeśam: Hṛṣīkeśa
• hṛṣīkeśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• cāturmāsyam: the four-month period
• cāturmāsyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (काल/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samāhitaḥ: concentrated
• samāhitaḥ: Karta-guṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (सम्+आ+धा धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्यः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana (Cāturmāsya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scholar-sage seated with palm-leaf manuscripts teaching brahmajñāna to students; beside/above, a devotee in silent composure beholds Hṛṣīkeśa in temple sanctum during monsoon season—visualizing ‘speech vs sight’ hierarchy.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmajñāna
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intellectual mastery and teaching are fulfilled only when they mature into direct God-experience—darśana—through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse glorifies the sacred season (Cāturmāsya) and the salvific vision of Hṛṣīkeśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Teaching brahmajñāna is mentioned as a meritorious act; the verse highlights Cāturmāsya-focused composure leading to Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana.