Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62
Devanagari script
पुत्र उवाच । तात सर्वं परिज्ञेयं ज्ञानमत्रैव वै यतः । ततः परं कंठशोषः किमर्थं क्रियते वद
Transliteration
putra uvāca | tāta sarvaṃ parijñeyaṃ jñānamatraiva vai yataḥ | tataḥ paraṃ kaṃṭhaśoṣaḥ kimarthaṃ kriyate vada
Translation
కుమారుడు అన్నాడు— “తండ్రీ, తెలిసికొనదగిన జ్ఞానం అంతా ఇక్కడే ఉన్నప్పుడు, ఆపై గొంతు ఎండిపోయేలా పఠనం ఎందుకు? దాని ప్రయోజనం ఏమిటో చెప్పండి।”
Word by Word
पुत्रःthe son
पुत्रः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
तातfather
तात:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootतात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
सर्वम्everything
सर्वम्:
Karma (Object of implied ‘to be known’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
परिज्ञेयम्is to be understood fully
परिज्ञेयम्:
Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootपरि + ज्ञा (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be fully known’
ज्ञानम्knowledge
ज्ञानम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (देशवाचक) — here
एवonly
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (अवधारण) — only/indeed
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) — indeed
यतःsince/because
यतः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
Formअव्यय (हेतुवाचक) — because/since
ततःthereafter/from that
ततः:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (अपादानार्थ/तस्मात्) — from that/thereafter
परम्beyond
परम्:
Sambandha (Extent/परिमाण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् (क्रियाविशेषण) — further/beyond
कण्ठ-शोषःdrying of the throat (hoarseness)
कण्ठ-शोषः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कण्ठस्य शोषः)
किमर्थम्for what purpose?
किमर्थम्:
Prayojana (Purpose-question/प्रयोजन)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थम् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समास (प्रश्नार्थक) — for what purpose?
क्रियतेis done
क्रियते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)
वदtell (me)
वद:
Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
Speaker
Son of Kauthuma (the boy)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The son, earnest and inquisitive, asks why one should continue throat-drying recitation; he gestures toward manuscripts, as if saying ‘all is already known here’. The elder listens thoughtfully.
FAQs
Study should lead to realized understanding; mere repetition without insight is spiritual dryness.
No holy site is referenced.
None; it questions the value of rote practice without purpose.