Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56
Devanagari script
अहो श्रृणुध्वं नो चेद्वः शुश्रूषा जायते शुभा । तथापि बाहुमुद्धृत्य रोरूयामः श्रृणोति कः
Transliteration
aho śrṛṇudhvaṃ no cedvaḥ śuśrūṣā jāyate śubhā | tathāpi bāhumuddhṛtya rorūyāmaḥ śrṛṇoti kaḥ
Translation
अहो शृणुध्वम्; नो चेद् वः शुभा शुश्रूषा न जायते, तथापि बाहू उद्धृत्य रोरूयामः—कः खलु शृणोति?
Word by Word
अहोoh!/indeed
अहो:
Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअहो (अव्यय)
Formविस्मयबोधक-निपात (interjection)
शृणुध्वम्listen (you all)
शृणुध्वम्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
नःof us/our
नः:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); ‘our/of us’
चेत्if
चेत्:
Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत् (अव्यय)
Formशर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)
वःyour/of you (pl.)
वः:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); ‘your/of you’
शुश्रूषाdesire to listen/service
शुश्रूषा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
जायतेarises/is born
जायते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
शुभाauspicious/good
शुभा:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शुश्रूषा)
तथापिeven so/nevertheless
तथापि:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा + अपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/विरोधबोधक-अव्यय (nevertheless)
बाहुम्arm
बाहुम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
उद्धृत्यhaving lifted (up)
उद्धृत्य:
Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउद्-हृ (धातु) → उद्धृत्य (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-रूप)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having lifted’
रोरूयामःwe cry out/wail
रोरूयामः:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootरु (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; पुनरुक्त-धातुरूप (intensive/expressive)
शृणोतिhe/she listens
शृणोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
कःwho?
कः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A sage or preacher stands with arms raised, calling out to a distracted crowd moving toward worldly pleasures, while a few attentive listeners sit near him.
FAQs
Spiritual instruction bears fruit only when the listener cultivates śuśrūṣā—earnest receptivity.
None; the verse is about hearing and heeding dharmic counsel.
None explicitly; it implicitly elevates śravaṇa (listening to dharma) as a vital practice.