Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63
Devanagari script
द्विज उवाच । अपि स्वल्पतरं कृत्यं यद्भवेद्भूभुजामिह । एकांते तत्तु पृष्टेन वक्तव्यं सुधिया सदा
Transliteration
dvija uvāca | api svalpataraṃ kṛtyaṃ yadbhavedbhūbhujāmiha | ekāṃte tattu pṛṣṭena vaktavyaṃ sudhiyā sadā
Translation
Sang Dvija berkata: Walau hanya kewajiban yang amat kecil sekalipun yang menyangkut para raja di dunia ini, bila ditanya hendaknya orang bijaksana selalu menjelaskannya secara pribadi, dalam tempat yang sunyi.
Word by Word
द्विजःthe brahmin
द्विजः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
अपिeven, indeed
अपि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; concessive/emphatic)
स्वल्पतरम्smaller, very little
स्वल्पतरम्:
Karma (Object-modifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)
कृत्यम्a task, duty
कृत्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ से)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन
यत्which
यत्:
Karta (Subject of subordinate clause/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)
भवेत्might be, may occur
भवेत्:
Kriya (Verb of subordinate clause/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
भूभुजाम्of kings
भूभुजाम्:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootभूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
एकान्तेin private, in solitude
एकान्ते:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootएकान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन
तुbut, indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (adversative/emphatic particle)
पृष्टेनby one who has asked; when asked
पृष्टेन:
Karana (Instrument/means: ‘when asked by’/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √प्रच्छ् से क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used substantively)
वक्तव्यम्should be spoken
वक्तव्यम्:
Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be spoken/should be said’
सुधियाby a wise person
सुधिया:
Karana (Agent-instrument: ‘by the wise’/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
Speaker
Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
FAQs
Wise guidance, especially for rulers, should be offered responsibly and discreetly, preserving dharma and dignity.
No tīrtha is named; the verse is a nīti-oriented instruction within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting.
None; it is a rule of conduct about how counsel should be delivered.