Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । नाहं तवोपदेशं वै कुर्यां मम गुरुर्भवान् । उपातिष्ठ गुरुं राजन्गर्गं मंत्र विदांवरम्

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | nāhaṃ tavopadeśaṃ vai kuryāṃ mama gururbhavān | upātiṣṭha guruṃ rājangargaṃ maṃtra vidāṃvaram

Translation

พระมเหสีตรัสว่า “หม่อมฉันจะไม่สั่งสอนพระองค์ เพราะพระองค์เป็นสวามีและเป็นผู้ควรเคารพดุจครูของหม่อมฉัน ข้าแต่พระราชา จงเข้าไปเฝ้าคุรุคัรกะ ผู้เลิศในหมู่ผู้รู้มนตร์”

Word by Word

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः; ‘न + अहम्’ → ‘नाहम्’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• उपदेशम्: instruction/teaching
• उपदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• कुर्याम्: I should do / would give
• कुर्याम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्

• गुरुः: teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; आदरार्थक-सर्वनाम (honorific pronoun)

• उपातिष्ठ: approach/attend upon
• उपातिष्ठ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचनम्

• गर्गम्: Garga
• गर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• मन्त्र-विदाम्-वरम्: the best among knowers of mantras
• मन्त्र-विदाम्-वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु) → विद् + आम् (षष्ठी बहुवचन) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रविदां वरः); ‘विदाम्’ = ‘विद्’ (ज्ञाता) शब्दस्य षष्ठी बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Queen

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen respectfully refuses to teach and gestures toward the sage Garga; the scene shifts to a hermitage where Garga sits with manuscripts and rudrākṣa, embodying mantra-knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Garga
• King
• Queen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra should be received through proper adhikāra and guru-lineage; dharmic propriety governs who teaches whom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on guru-seeking and correct transmission of mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seeking a qualified guru (Garga) for mantra-upadeśa is explicitly prescribed.