Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

इति वाक्यगुणानां च वाग्दोषान्द्विनव श्रृणु । अपेतार्थमभिन्नार्थमपवृत्तं तथाधिकम्

Transliteration

iti vākyaguṇānāṃ ca vāgdoṣāndvinava śrṛṇu | apetārthamabhinnārthamapavṛttaṃ tathādhikam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ വാക്യഗുണങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞുകഴിഞ്ഞു; ഇനി വാണിയുടെ പതിനെട്ടു ദോഷങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക—‘അർത്ഥശൂന്യം’, ‘അഭിന്ന/അസ്പഷ്ടാർത്ഥം’, ‘വിഷയച്യുതം’, ‘അതികം’ മുതലായവ।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (thus)

• वाक्यगुणानाम्: of the qualities of speech/sentence
• वाक्यगुणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वाक्यस्य गुणाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: and)

• वाग्दोषान्: faults of speech
• वाग्दोषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वाचः दोषाः)

• द्विनव: eleven
• द्विनव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; द्विगु-समासः (द्वौ च नव च = 11)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपेतार्थम्: having the meaning departed (meaningless)
• अपेतार्थम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपेत (कृदन्त; √इ/√या with अप-; ‘gone away’) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अपेतः अर्थः यस्य)

• अभिन्नार्थम्: having an undistinguished meaning (not distinct)
• अभिन्नार्थम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिन्न (कृदन्त; √भिद्) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अभिन्नः अर्थः यस्य)

• अपवृत्तम्: deviated/turned away
• अपवृत्तम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपवृत्त (कृदन्त; √वृत् with अप-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/likewise)

• अधिकम्: excessive/superfluous
• अधिकम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Satyavrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal enumeration scene: the teacher counts categories on fingers or with a rosary, while a scribe records the list of eighteen speech-faults; orderly, didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Satyavrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by guarding one’s speech—avoiding meaninglessness, confusion, digression, and excess that distort truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy place is praised here; the emphasis is on ethical communication.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it begins a practical ‘discipline of speech’ by listing faults to be avoided.