Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नायं तस्यास्ति वै लोकः कुत एव परो भवेत् । तस्माद्विजानता यत्नात्त्याज्यमेव वृथा वचः

Transliteration

nāyaṃ tasyāsti vai lokaḥ kuta eva paro bhavet | tasmādvijānatā yatnāttyājyameva vṛthā vacaḥ

Translation

అటువంటి వానికి ఈ లోకసుఖమూ లేదు; మరి పరలోకం ఎట్లా కలుగును? కనుక తెలిసినవాడు యత్నపూర్వకంగా వ్యర్థ వాక్యాన్ని పూర్తిగా విడిచిపెట్టాలి।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ayam: this (person/one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• lokaḥ: world/realm
• lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'whence/how')

• eva: even/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• paraḥ: another/higher
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhavet: could be/would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Causal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• vijānatā: by the knowing person
• vijānatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग रूपेण प्रयोगः; 'जानता' = 'by one who knows'

• yatnāt: with effort/earnestly
• yatnāt: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'with effort/earnestly'

• tyājyam: to be abandoned
• tyājyam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (त्यज् धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: 'to be abandoned')

• eva: certainly
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'in vain')

• vacaḥ: speech/words
• vacaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative context (Maheshvara Khanda tradition: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating a dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: an elder/kingly figure admonishes a strong warrior about abandoning futile speech; the atmosphere is sober, corrective, and morally charged.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Useless talk harms both worldly well-being and spiritual progress; disciplined speech supports dharma and higher attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the teaching is universal and ethical rather than geographic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is behavioral: renounce vṛthā-vacana (futile speech) through deliberate effort.