Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

बर्बरीक उवाच । प्रणम्य त्वामादिदेवं मनोबुद्धिसमाधिभिः । प्रक्ष्यामि केन श्रेयः स्याज्जंतोर्जातस्य माधव

Transliteration

barbarīka uvāca | praṇamya tvāmādidevaṃ manobuddhisamādhibhiḥ | prakṣyāmi kena śreyaḥ syājjaṃtorjātasya mādhava

Translation

ബർബരീകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആദിദേവാ, മനസ്സും ബുദ്ധിയും സമാധിയും ചേർത്ത് നിന്നെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു, ഹേ മാധവാ, ഞാൻ ചോദിക്കുന്നു—ജനിച്ച ജീവിക്ക് പരമ ശ്രേയസ് ഏതിനാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• बर्बरीकः: Barbarīka
• बर्बरीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्

• आदिदेवम्: the primeval god
• आदिदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (to प्रणम्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः

• मनोबुद्धिसमाधिभिः: with mind, intellect, and concentration
• मनोबुद्धिसमाधिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (instrumental plural)

• प्रक्ष्यामि: I will ask
• प्रक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• केन: by what means
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular; ‘by what/through what’)

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• स्यात्: may be / would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• जन्तोः: of a creature/person
• जन्तोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• जातस्य: of the born (being)
• जातस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (of one who is born)

• माधव: O Mādhava
• माधव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (Vocative)

Speaker

Barbarīka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Barbarīka bows deeply to Kṛṣṇa, offering mental, intellectual, and contemplative homage, then asks the central question: what brings the highest good to a born being?

Characters & Entities

• Barbarīka
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Mādhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is meant for seeking śreyas (the highest good), approached through reverence, inner collectedness, and sincere questioning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it introduces a dharma-philosophical inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights pranāma (reverential bowing) and focused mind as prerequisites for inquiry.