Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

काकारावैः किमतैर्वो यद्यस्ति ज्ञानशालिता । व्याकुरुध्वं ततः प्रश्रान्मम दुर्विषहान्बहून्

Transliteration

kākārāvaiḥ kimatairvo yadyasti jñānaśālitā | vyākurudhvaṃ tataḥ praśrānmama durviṣahānbahūn

Translation

നിങ്ങളിൽ യഥാർത്ഥ ജ്ഞാനശീലത ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, ഈ കാക്കപോലുള്ള കൂക്കലും കലഹവും എന്തിന്? അതിനാൽ എന്റെ അനവധി, ദുഷ്കരമായ ചോദ്യങ്ങൾക്ക് വിശദീകരണം നൽകുക।

Word by Word

• काकारावैः: by/with the sounds ‘kā-kā’ (cawing)
• काकारावैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकाराव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• किमतैः: with what use?/by what (means)
• किमतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किमत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• वः: of you / your
• वः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (enclitic)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd sg

• ज्ञानशालिता: learnedness / possession of knowledge
• ज्ञानशालिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ज्ञानस्य शालिता (possessing knowledge)

• व्याकुरुध्वम्: explain / expound
• व्याकुरुध्वम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperative, 2nd pl; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: sequence/source)

• प्रश्रान्: questions
• प्रश्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• दुर्विषहान्: hard-to-bear
• दुर्विषहान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-वि-षह (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; कृदन्तः (विषह्-शक्य) ‘hard to endure’

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

Speaker

Narrator (unnamed first-person; likely Sūta’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A group of brāhmaṇas/munis (elders)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned questioner silences a group engaged in noisy argument, demanding meaningful answers; sages sit in a semi-circle, the speaker standing with raised hand in admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijas (implied)
• Praśna (questions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge is proven by clear answers and insight, not by loud disputation; dharmic debate serves truth, not ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the praised āśrama-region narrative; it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it recommends a discipline of inquiry and explanation as a form of dharmic conduct.