Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अप्रियं तदुपाकर्ण्य ह्यदितिः पुत्रलालसा । उवाच कश्यपं सा तु सुराणां व्यसनं महत् । महर्षे श्रयतां वाक्यं श्रुत्वा तत्कर्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

apriyaṃ tadupākarṇya hyaditiḥ putralālasā | uvāca kaśyapaṃ sā tu surāṇāṃ vyasanaṃ mahat | maharṣe śrayatāṃ vākyaṃ śrutvā tatkartumarhasi

Translation

Услышав эту горестную весть, Адити, тоскуя по сыновьям, сказала Кашьяпе о великом бедствии, постигшем богов: «О великий риши, внемли моим словам; услышав их, соверши должное».

Word by Word

• अप्रियम्: unpleasant (news)
• अप्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular (object of upākarṇya)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — pronoun accusative singular

• उपाकर्ण्य: having heard
• उपाकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + √कर्ण्/√श्रु (धात्वर्थः ‘श्रवण’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having heard/listened’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — emphatic/causal particle

• अदितिः: Aditi
• अदितिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• पुत्र-लालसा: longing for her sons
• पुत्र-लालसा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लालसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘पुत्रेषु लालसा यस्याः’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular perfect ‘said’

• कश्यपम्: Kaśyapa
• कश्यपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — pronoun nominative singular

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — adversative/emphatic

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — masculine genitive plural

• व्यसनम्: calamity
• व्यसनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifying व्यसनम्)

• महर्षे: O great sage
• महर्षे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• श्रयताम्: let (my) words be heeded
• श्रयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular imperative (आत्मनेपद) ‘let (it) be heeded/let it rest’

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — neuter nominative/accusative singular (here: subject of śrayatām)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having heard’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — pronoun accusative singular

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) — ‘to do’

• अर्हसि: you should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — 2nd person singular present ‘you ought/are fit’

Speaker

Lomaśa (narration; Aditi speaks within the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aditi, eyes moist yet resolute, addresses Kaśyapa seated in meditation posture; the devas stand behind her. The hermitage glows with sacrificial firelight, suggesting that sorrow is being offered into tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Kaśyapa
• Devas (Surāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, dharmic resolution is sought through sages—those grounded in tapas and discernment—rather than through panic or pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kaśyapa’s āśrama is implied as a sanctified refuge; the verse itself is more about counsel than a tīrtha-vidhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the prescription is to heed wise counsel and act appropriately (yathā-yogya karma).