Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

वैदिकं लौकिकं चैव सर्वज्ञानमवाप्य यः । आश्रमस्थो वशी नित्यमृषिकल्प इति स्मृतः

Transliteration

vaidikaṃ laukikaṃ caiva sarvajñānamavāpya yaḥ | āśramastho vaśī nityamṛṣikalpa iti smṛtaḥ

Translation

വൈദികവും ലൗകികവും ആയ സർവ്വജ്ഞാനം കൈവരിച്ച്, ആശ്രമത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായി നിത്യ ആത്മസംയമത്തോടെ കഴിയുന്നവൻ ‘ഋഷികൽപൻ’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वैदिकम्: Vedic
• वैदिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (ज्ञानम् इति पदस्य विशेषण)

• लौकिकम्: worldly/secular
• लौकिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (ज्ञानम् इति पदस्य विशेषण)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सर्वज्ञानम्: all knowledge
• सर्वज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वं ज्ञानम्)

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• अवाप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; धातुः—आप्, उपसर्गः—अव; ‘having obtained’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक/यत्-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• आश्रमस्थः: dwelling in an āśrama
• आश्रमस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आश्रमं स्थितः)

• वशी: self-controlled
• वशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• ऋषिकल्पः: like a sage
• ऋषिकल्पः: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ऋषिवत् कल्पः/सदृशः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• स्मृतः: is regarded
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is remembered/considered’

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ṛṣikalpa figure in an āśrama: teaching scripture to students while also advising on worldly matters (medicine, governance, ethics); calm, authoritative, self-mastered presence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge becomes spiritually luminous when joined to āśrama-dharma and steady self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is the inner qualification of a sage-like life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stability in one’s āśrama and continual self-mastery; the verse implies disciplined study of Vedic learning.