Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

यदि सापह्नवं चित्तं मय्यतीव तवास्ति चेत् । ततस्त्वां गुरुकार्यार्थमादेक्ष्यामि श्रृणुष्व तत्

Transliteration

yadi sāpahnavaṃ cittaṃ mayyatīva tavāsti cet | tatastvāṃ gurukāryārthamādekṣyāmi śrṛṇuṣva tat

Translation

जर माझ्याविषयी तुझ्या अंतःकरणात खरी श्रद्धा-भक्ती असेल, तर गुरु-आज्ञेने करावयाच्या कार्यासाठी मी तुला नेमीन—ते ऐक.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — शर्तबोधक (conditional ‘if’)

• sa-apahnavam: concealing, with denial
• sa-apahnavam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + apahnava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘with concealment/denial’; विशेषणम् ‘चित्तम्’

• cittam: mind
• cittam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘mind’

• mayi: in me, towards me
• mayi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘in me/towards me’

• atīva: very, exceedingly
• atīva: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — तीव्रतावाचक (intensifier)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘of you/your’

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘is/exists’

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — शर्त/सम्भावनार्थ (if/indeed)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘then/thereupon’

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘you’

• guru-kārya-artham: for the purpose of the teacher’s work
• guru-kārya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose) ‘for the purpose of the teacher’s task’

• ādekṣyāmi: I will instruct
• ādekṣyāmi: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√diś (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन — ‘I shall instruct/command’

• śr̥ṇuṣva: listen
• śr̥ṇuṣva: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — ‘listen!’

• tat: that
• tat: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘that (instruction)’

Speaker

Bāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder spiritual figure, weakened yet luminous, addresses a devoted disciple; the disciple stands with folded hands, listening intently as a sacred duty is entrusted.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere intent is tested through service—devotion is proven by accepting dharmic responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it introduces instructions that connect to the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it establishes a guru-assigned duty to be heard and carried out.