Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 172

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी समायात एक एव न चापरः । पठनादौ महाराज चागतस्तव सन्निधौ । किमर्थं तन्न जानीमो जानीहि त्वं महामते

Transliteration

brahmacārī samāyāta eka eva na cāparaḥ | paṭhanādau mahārāja cāgatastava sannidhau | kimarthaṃ tanna jānīmo jānīhi tvaṃ mahāmate

Translation

“Seorang brahmacārin telah datang—hanya seorang, tiada yang lain. Wahai Maharaja, dia tiba di hadapan tuanku sambil melantunkan bacaan Veda. Untuk tujuan apa, kami tidak mengetahuinya; wahai yang amat bijaksana, tuankulah yang dapat menentukannya.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समायातः: has come
• समायातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

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

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (elliptic: ‘another (one)’)

• पठनादौ: at the beginning of recitation
• पठनादौ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पठन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—पठनादौ = पठनस्य आदौ (at the beginning of recitation/study)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come’

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सन्निधौ: in (your) presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: why, for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Hetu-prashna (Reason-question/हेतुप्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: ‘for what reason’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; (object of ‘know’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• जानीमः: we know
• जानीमः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• जानीहि: know (you)!
• जानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śaṇḍa and Marka (reporting to Bali)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of sages/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two messengers stand before Bali, reporting a lone brahmacārin reciting Veda who has arrived at the king’s presence; Bali listens, thoughtful and alert.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārin (Vāmana)
• Bali
• Śaṇḍa
• Marka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic king must read situations wisely, especially when a holy guest arrives with the aura of Vedic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s holy ambience is implied by the arrival of a brahmacārin reciting sacred words within the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; the mention of recitation (paṭhana) highlights Vedic sanctity accompanying the guest.