Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22
इमाञ्छ्लोकान्गायमानः प्रश्ररूपाञ्छृणुष्व तान् । मातृकां को विजानाति कतिधा कीदृशाक्षराम्
imāñchlokāngāyamānaḥ praśrarūpāñchṛṇuṣva tān | mātṛkāṃ ko vijānāti katidhā kīdṛśākṣarām
ചോദ്യരൂപത്തിൽ ഞാൻ പാടുന്ന ഈ ശ്ലോകങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക. മാതൃക (വർണമാല)യെ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആര് അറിയുന്നു—അത് എത്രയും, ഏതു തരത്തിലുള്ള അക്ഷരങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തമാണ്?
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); posing test-questions to identify the learned
Listener: ‘śṛṇuṣva’ indicates an addressed listener within the narrative (unspecified in the excerpt)
Scene: A questioner sings interrogative ślokas; sages listen. Behind them, a subtle mystical diagram of letters (varṇacakra) appears, suggesting Mātṛkā as a sacred matrix of sound.
FAQs
True learning is verifiable; knowledge is tested through precise understanding, not mere reputation.
No; this is a pedagogical passage about vidyā and examination.
None directly; it introduces a method of parīkṣā (testing) through doctrinal/linguistic questions.