Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पुनर्दुर्बोधविन्यासः श्लोकस्तैर्विप्रपुंगवैः । आख्यातुं शक्यते नैव गुडो मूकैर्यथा मुने

Transliteration

punardurbodhavinyāsaḥ ślokastairviprapuṃgavaiḥ | ākhyātuṃ śakyate naiva guḍo mūkairyathā mune

Translation

ହେ ମୁନି, ଏହି ଶ୍ଲୋକର ବିନ୍ୟାସ ଦୁର୍ବୋଧ; ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏହାକୁ ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା କରିପାରିଲେ ନାହିଁ—ଯେପରି ମୂକ ଲୋକ ଗୁଡ଼ର ସ୍ୱାଦ କହିପାରେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• durbodha-vinyāsaḥ: a difficult arrangement/structure
• durbodha-vinyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-bodha (प्रातिपदिक) + vinyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (durbodhasya vinyāsaḥ = arrangement hard to understand)

• ślokaḥ: the verse
• ślokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vipra-puṃgavaiḥ: by the foremost Brahmins
• vipra-puṃgavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viprāṇāṃ puṃgavāḥ = foremost of Brahmins)

• ākhyātum: to explain
• ākhyātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√khyā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• śakyate: is possible/can be
• śakyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• eva: at all/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• guḍaḥ: jaggery
• guḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mūkaiḥ: by the mute (people)
• mūkaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yathā: as/like
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: as/like)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (addressed as ‘O sage’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foremost brāhmaṇas sit with furrowed brows around a manuscript; despite debate, the meaning eludes them. In a symbolic inset, a mute person holds jaggery, unable to convey its sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (vipra-puṅgava)
• Dāna verse (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some dharma teachings require realized insight and precise tradition to interpret; mere learning may not suffice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the narrative set in a sacred region while focusing on interpretive difficulty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse underscores the need for an authoritative explanation of the dāna teaching.