Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

त्वं मुने मन्यसे चेदं कुलीनोऽस्मीति बुद्धिमान् । ततः क्षिपसि मां मूढ नकुलोऽयमिति स्मयन्

Transliteration

tvaṃ mune manyase cedaṃ kulīno'smīti buddhimān | tataḥ kṣipasi māṃ mūḍha nakulo'yamiti smayan

Translation

Wahai resi, jika engkau mengira dirimu bijaksana dan berdarah mulia, mengapa, hai dungu, engkau menghina aku sambil tersenyum berkata, “Ini seekor nakula (musang)”?

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case), पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-निर्लिङ्गप्रयोगः

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• मन्यसे: you think
• मन्यसे: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/समुच्चय-शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case)

• कुलीनः: well-born, of noble family
• कुलीनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case); विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• बुद्धिमान्: intelligent
• बुद्धिमान्: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case); विशेषणम् (to implied 'त्वम्')

• ततः: therefore, then
• ततः: Sambandha (Cause/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb)

• क्षिपसि: you revile/insult
• क्षिपसि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, द्वितीया (2nd case)

• मूढ: O fool
• मूढ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative); विशेषणम्

• नकुलः: a mongoose
• नकुलः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject within quote)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case)

• इति: saying
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• स्मयन्: smiling, mocking
• स्मयन्: Karta (Agent, concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मि (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case)

Speaker

Nakula (mongoose) addressing Yājñavalkya (the muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heated exchange: a revered-looking sage is confronted by a smaller ascetic/being who rebukes him for smilingly insulting with the word ‘nakula’ (mongoose). Gestures emphasize moral reprimand and wounded dignity.

Characters & Entities

• Nakula (mongoose)
• Yājñavalkya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True wisdom is shown by humility and respectful speech; pride in birth or learning does not justify contempt.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is a moral confrontation within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it critiques harshness and ridicule as violations of dharma.