Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

प्रयास्यन्स्वगृहं विप्रा गुरवे दक्षि णामदात् । उवाच वै गुरुर्विद्वान्कक्षीवान्ब्रह्मवित्तमः

Transliteration

prayāsyansvagṛhaṃ viprā gurave dakṣi ṇāmadāt | uvāca vai gururvidvānkakṣīvānbrahmavittamaḥ

Translation

ดูก่อนพราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย ครั้นเขาจะกลับเรือนตน ก็ถวายทักษิณาแด่อาจารย์ แล้วคักษีวานผู้เป็นครูผู้รอบรู้ ผู้เลิศในหมู่ผู้รู้พรหมัน จึงกล่าวขึ้น

Word by Word

• प्रयास्यन्: while intending to depart / about to go
• प्रयास्यन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Mas., Nom., Sg.)

• स्वगृहं: to his own house
• स्वगृहं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Sg.)

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Sg.)

• गुरवे: to the teacher
• गुरवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Dat., Sg.)

• दक्षिणाम्: a gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc., Sg.)

• अदात्: gave
• अदात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

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

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Sg.)

• विद्वान्: learned
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Mas., Nom., Sg.); विशेषण (qualifier of गुरु)

• कक्षीवान्: O Kakṣīvān
• कक्षीवान्: Sambodhana (Addressee/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्षीवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Mas., Nom., Sg.)

• ब्रह्मवित्तमः: the best knower of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवित्तमः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मविद् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Mas., Nom., Sg.); अतिशय (superlative) विशेषण गुरु-सम्बन्धि

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, addressing viprāḥ)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (addressed in narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kakṣīvān, ready to depart, offers dakṣiṇā with reverence; the guru, serene and learned, prepares to speak a blessing/instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Kakṣīvān
• Guru
• Dakṣiṇā
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gratitude to the guru through dakṣiṇā and humility at the completion of study are integral to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet; the narrative is transitioning toward the tīrtha-instructions connected with Rāmasetu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering dakṣiṇā to the guru at the completion of study (a dharmic obligation).