Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

असंप्रणम्य शृण्वंतो विषवृक्षा भवंति ते । कथां शयानाः शृण्वन्तो भवंत्यजगरा नराः

Transliteration

asaṃpraṇamya śṛṇvaṃto viṣavṛkṣā bhavaṃti te | kathāṃ śayānāḥ śṛṇvanto bhavaṃtyajagarā narāḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดฟังโดยไม่กราบนอบน้อม ย่อมเป็นต้นไม้พิษ; และมนุษย์ผู้ฟังธรรมกถาขณะนอนราบ ย่อมเกิดเป็นอชครา คือ งูหลามใหญ่

Word by Word

• अ-सम्प्रणम्य: without bowing (first)
• अ-सम्प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ (निषेध-उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + सम् + प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) नकारार्थे; 'सम्प्रणम्य' = सम्यक् प्रणम्य (having bowed)

• शृण्वन्तः: listening
• शृण्वन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ते इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विष-वृक्षाः: poison-trees
• विष-वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject Complement/प्रथमा-प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विषस्य/विषयुक्ताः वृक्षाः)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शयानाः: lying down
• शयानाः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: भूत/वर्तमान-भावकृदन्त (क्त/निष्ठा-प्रायः; 'शय' आधार), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'lying down' अर्थे

• शृण्वन्तः: listening
• शृण्वन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नराः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अजगराः: pythons/boas
• अजगराः: Karta (Subject Complement/प्रथमा-प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the start of a discourse, devotees bow; one person remains unbowed—behind him a dark, thorny poisonous tree appears; another listens lying down, with a coiled python shadow beneath the cot, symbolizing ajagara rebirth.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence (praṇāma) and alert attentiveness are integral to receiving sacred teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer praṇāma before hearing; do not listen while lying down.