Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तदेतत्पालनीयं स्याद्भूमिजानां श्रुतिर्वदेत् । त्वया नास्तिक्यवाक्येन चेदेतदभिधीयते

Transliteration

tadetatpālanīyaṃ syādbhūmijānāṃ śrutirvadet | tvayā nāstikyavākyena cedetadabhidhīyate

Translation

ഇത് തീർച്ചയായും പാലിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്—എന്ന് ഭൂമിയിൽ ജനിച്ചവരുടെ പരമ്പരാശ്രുതി പറയുന്നു. എന്നാൽ നീ ഇത് നാസ്തികവചനങ്ങളാൽ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചാൽ, ആ രീതിയിൽ അത് സ്വീകര്യമല്ല.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• पालनीयं: to be protected/observed
• पालनीयं: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् (धातु) + अनीयर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory) (Neuter, Nom, Singular)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular)

• भूमिजानाम्: of the earth-born (people)
• भूमिजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिज (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• श्रुतिः: the Vedic revelation (Śruti)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• वदेत्: would/should say
• वदेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• नास्तिक्यवाक्येन: with an atheistic statement
• नास्तिक्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक्य-वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक; नास्तिक्य + वाक्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अभिधीयते: is stated/expressed
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्गः अभि; (अभि+√धा)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) (3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly: an elder teacher admonishes a disputant, emphasizing that sacred injunctions must be preserved and not voiced with disbelief; palm-leaf manuscripts of śruti and purāṇa lie nearby.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be upheld with reverent intent; cynical or faithless framing undermines right teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the emphasis is on maintaining dharma as validated by tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is general observance (pālana) of dharma; no specific rite is detailed.