Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2
Devanagari script
अथान्यजनसामान्यैर्गुरुभिर्नीतिकोविदैः । नृणां कृतोपदेशानां सिद्धिर्भवति कीदृशी
Transliteration
athānyajanasāmānyairgurubhirnītikovidaiḥ | nṛṇāṃ kṛtopadeśānāṃ siddhirbhavati kīdṛśī
Translation
परंतु जे गुरु केवळ सामान्य जन असतात, जरी नीतिधर्मात कुशल असले तरी—त्यांच्या उपदेशाने मग कोणती सिद्धी होते?
Word by Word
अथnow/then
अथ:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (now/then)
अन्यother
अन्य:
Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)
जनpeople
जन:
Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
TypeNoun
Rootजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)
सामान्यैःby ordinary (common)
सामान्यैः:
Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instr./करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसामान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘गुरुभिः’ विशेषण; समासः—अन्य-जन-सामान्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘common among other people’)
गुरुभिःby teachers
गुरुभिः:
Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instr./करण)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
नीतिethics/policy
नीति:
Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
TypeNoun
Rootनीति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)
कोविदैःby those skilled (in ethics)
कोविदैः:
Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instr./करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘गुरुभिः’ विशेषण; समासः—नीति-कोविद (तत्पुरुष: ‘skilled in ethics’)
नृणाम्of men/people
नृणाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootनृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
कृतdone/given
कृत:
Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)
उपदेशानाम्of those who have received instruction
उपदेशानाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootउपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कृत-उपदेश (समासवृत्ति: ‘given instruction’)
सिद्धिःsuccess/accomplishment
सिद्धिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
भवतिbecomes/is
भवति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
कीदृशीof what kind?
कीदृशी:
Karta (Predicate-adjective/समनाधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सिद्धिः’ विशेषण/प्रश्नवाचक
Speaker
Ṛṣis (sages)
Characters & Entities
Ṛ
ṚṣisG
GuruN
NītiFAQs
Worldly competence alone may not yield the highest spiritual siddhi; the sages probe the need for deeper authority and faith.
No holy site is mentioned; the verse is part of a doctrinal inquiry about teaching and attainment.
None explicitly; it frames a question about the efficacy of instruction from different kinds of teachers.