Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

तदाह वामनो वाक्यं स्मयन्मधुरया गिरा । असंतोषपरा ये च विप्रा नष्टा न संशयः

Transliteration

tadāha vāmano vākyaṃ smayanmadhurayā girā | asaṃtoṣaparā ye ca viprā naṣṭā na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വാമനൻ പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ മധുരവാക്കുകളിൽ പറഞ്ഞു—അസന്തോഷത്തിൽ ആസക്തരായ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ നശിക്കുന്നു; സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• तत्: then; thereupon
• तत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial use: 'then/thereupon')

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/आह् (धातु; ब्रू-अर्थे)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वामनः: Vāmana
• वामनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• स्मयन्: smiling
• स्मयन्: Karta (Agentive qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मि (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)

• मधुरया: with sweet (tone)
• मधुरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• गिरा: with speech; by words
• गिरा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• असंतोष-पराः: devoted to discontent; dissatisfied
• असंतोष-पराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंतोष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; समासः असंतोषे पराः (तत्पुरुष)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• नष्टाः: ruined; lost
• नष्टाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• न: not; no
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vāmana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana, serene and smiling, speaks softly yet firmly, warning that brahmins addicted to dissatisfaction meet ruin; the king listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Bali
• Vipra (Brahmin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Santoṣa (contentment) is a pillar of dharma; insatiable craving corrodes spiritual authority and leads to downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa’s wider purpose is Kedāra-kṣetra māhātmya, though this verse teaches general dharma through the Vāmana narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical maxim supporting purity in receiving gifts.