Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

येन विद्याः प्रपठिता वर्तंते भुवि या द्विज । एकत्रिंशत्सहस्राणि वर्षाणां स कृतादरः

Transliteration

yena vidyāḥ prapaṭhitā vartaṃte bhuvi yā dvija | ekatriṃśatsahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ sa kṛtādaraḥ

Translation

ಹೇ ದ್ವಿಜ, ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಚಲಿತವಾಗಿರುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿದ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅವನು ಸಮ್ಯಕವಾಗಿ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ ಮಾಡಿದನು. ಕೃತಾದರದಿಂದ ಏಕತ್ರಿಂಶತ್ ಸಹಸ್ರ ವರ್ಷಗಳವರೆಗೆ ಅವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विद्याः: knowledges/branches of learning
• विद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रपठिताः: thoroughly studied/recited
• प्रपठिताः: Karma (Predicate participle/कर्मणि-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पठ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (agrees with विद्याः)

• वर्तन्ते: exist/continue
• वर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भुवि: on earth/in the world
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• याः: which
• याः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (refers to विद्याः)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• एकत्रिंशत्सहस्राणि: thirty-one thousand
• एकत्रिंशत्सहस्राणि: Karma (Measure/extent as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकत्रिंशत् + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वक); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Of/measure complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृतादरः: having shown respect/attentive
• कृतादरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतः आदरः यस्य/कृत-आदर); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (qualifies सः)

Speaker

Sutanū

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kauthuma portrayed surrounded by stacks of palm-leaf manuscripts, students, and ritual implements; a visual motif of passing years—sun/moon cycles—suggesting the immense span of study.

Characters & Entities

• Kauthuma
• vidyāḥ (sciences/learning)
• dvija (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is supported by disciplined learning; long, devoted effort is praised as a sacred pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Mithilā, but no particular tīrtha is highlighted in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it extols sustained study (svādhyāya/vidyā-abhyāsa) as a virtue.