Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

को हि प्रज्ञावतां मुख्यः सर्वशास्त्रविदांवरः । स्त्रीणां शरणमापद्येदृजुर्बुद्धिर्यथा भवान्

Transliteration

ko hi prajñāvatāṃ mukhyaḥ sarvaśāstravidāṃvaraḥ | strīṇāṃ śaraṇamāpadyedṛjurbuddhiryathā bhavān

Translation

ജ്ഞാനികളിൽ അഗ്രഗണ്യനും സർവ്വശാസ്ത്രവിദ്വാന്മാരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനുമായവൻ ആര് സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ശരണം പ്രാപിക്കും—ഋജുബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവൻ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധനായ നീ ചെയ്തതുപോലെ?

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis/indeed)

• प्रज्ञावताम्: of the wise
• प्रज्ञावताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘प्रज्ञावत्’ = बुद्धिमान्

• मुख्यः: chief
• मुख्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (कः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्व-शास्त्र-विदाम्-वरः: best among knowers of all scriptures
• सर्व-शास्त्र-विदाम्-वरः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु; ‘विद्’→विद्/विद्-प्रातिपदिक ‘विद्/विद्वस्’) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां शास्त्राणां विदां मध्ये वरः)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आपद्येत्: would resort to
• आपद्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्

• ऋजुः: straight/upright
• ऋजुः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (बुद्धिः)

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/like)

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; आदरार्थक-प्रयोगः (honorific ‘you’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker challenges the king’s reliance on ‘women’ as refuge; the scene is tense—some courtiers look uneasy, the king appears conflicted and ashamed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment (viveka) is urged: one should not abandon śāstric clarity and self-mastery by seeking refuge in what is portrayed here as deluding attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is primarily an ethical-philosophical admonition within the Māheśvara narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on counsel about discernment and conduct.