Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

मा मा ब्राह्मण भाषिष्ठा विरुद्धमिति शंकरे । महत्तमो याति पुमान्देवदेवस्य निंदया

Transliteration

mā mā brāhmaṇa bhāṣiṣṭhā viruddhamiti śaṃkare | mahattamo yāti pumāndevadevasya niṃdayā

Translation

ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ, ଶଙ୍କରଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ‘ବିରୁଦ୍ଧ’ କିମ୍ବା ‘ଅନୁଚିତ’ ବୋଲି କହିବା ନାହିଁ। ଦେବଦେବଙ୍କ ନିନ୍ଦାରେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ମହା ଅନ୍ଧକାରକୁ ପତିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• मा: do not (indeed)
• मा: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle), पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• ब्राह्मण: O brahmin
• ब्राह्मण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• भाषिष्ठाः: (you) should speak / utter
• भाषिष्ठाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/prohibitive sense with मा), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विरुद्धम्: contrary, improper
• विरुद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viruddha (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण from √rudh/√rudh?; conventional adj.)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied वचनम्/वाक्यम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• शंकरे: regarding Śaṅkara
• शंकरे: Adhikarana (Locus/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विषय/प्रति (about/against)

• महत्तमः: to the greatest darkness (i.e., worst state) / very great (as adj.)
• महत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahattama (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of महत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (of पुमान्)

• याति: goes, falls into
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘देवानां देवः’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• निंदया: by slander
• निंदया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṃdā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे (by/through)

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as bhāṣiṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate Śaiva teacher restrains a brāhmaṇa’s speech, pointing toward Śaṅkara’s emblem (liṅga/trident), while a shadowy ‘tamas’ recedes behind the repentant listener.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śaṅkara/Śiva
• Brāhmaṇa (brahmacārin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Slandering the Supreme Lord is spiritually ruinous; reverence and restraint in speech are essential dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is discussed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral injunction is implied: avoid nindā (slander) of Devadeva; no ritual act is prescribed.