Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

बाभ्रव्य उवाच । सत्यमेतद्यथात्थ त्वं नारदं प्रति पांडव । सर्वोऽपि चात्र वृत्तांते संशयं याति मानवः

Transliteration

bābhravya uvāca | satyametadyathāttha tvaṃ nāradaṃ prati pāṃḍava | sarvo'pi cātra vṛttāṃte saṃśayaṃ yāti mānavaḥ

Translation

ബാഭ്രവ്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പാണ്ഡവാ! നാരദനോട് നീ പറഞ്ഞത് സത്യമാകുന്നു; ഈ വൃത്താന്തത്തിൽ ഓരോ മനുഷ്യനും സംശയത്തിലാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• बाभ्रव्यः: Bābhravya
• बाभ्रव्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाभ्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)/Prayojya-predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (predicate)

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

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/how')

• आत्थ: you said
• आत्थ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु; आङ्-उपसर्गेण)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारदम्: Nārada
• नारदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards, regarding
• प्रति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition: towards/with regard to)

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वः: everyone
• सर्वः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this matter)

• वृत्तान्ते: in the account/matter
• वृत्तान्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• संशयम्: doubt
• संशयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes to, falls into
• याति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Bābhravya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bābhravya, composed and authoritative, acknowledges Arjuna’s statement as true and notes that people commonly fall into doubt about this matter.

Characters & Entities

• Bābhravya
• Nārada
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sincere seekers may be confused by complex conduct; scripture encourages open questioning and reasoned clarification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an explanatory teaching.