Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु शक्रस्य वाक्यं वाक्यविदां वरः । प्रहस्योवाच मतिमाञ्छक्रं प्रति विदां वरः

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu śakrasya vākyaṃ vākyavidāṃ varaḥ | prahasyovāca matimāñchakraṃ prati vidāṃ varaḥ

Translation

ശക്രന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് വാക്യവിദ്യയിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ ആ ജ്ഞാനി മൃദുഹാസം ചെയ്തു ശക്രനെ അഭിമുഖീകരിച്ച് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थ

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वाक्यविदाम्: of the knowers of speech
• वाक्यविदाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (धातु) → vid (विद्) + a (प्रातिपदिक) = vida; vākya-vida (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वाक्यं वेत्ति इति वाक्यविद्)

• वरः: the best/excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रहस्य: having laughed/smiled
• प्रहस्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√has (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मतिमान्: intelligent
• मतिमान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: matimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता-विशेषण), एकवचन

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards/to
• प्रति: Sampradāna/Direction (प्रति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition), ‘towards/to’ अर्थे

• विदाम्: of the wise/knowers
• विदाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vid (धातु) → vida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Bali’s response)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise sage—best among speakers—smiles softly after hearing Indra’s words, then begins a calm, discerning reply; the setting suggests a Himalayan hermitage atmosphere with restrained grandeur.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Bali (implied as responder)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wisdom expresses itself through measured speech; even tense meetings can be guided by calm eloquence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a narrative transition within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.