Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

इति कमलजवक्त्रपद्मजां तं मुदितमनाः सनको निशम्य भक्त्या । विरचितविनयः प्रणम्य पुत्रः पितरमपृच्छदशेषवेदसारम्

Transliteration

iti kamalajavaktrapadmajāṃ taṃ muditamanāḥ sanako niśamya bhaktyā | viracitavinayaḥ praṇamya putraḥ pitaramapṛcchadaśeṣavedasāram

Translation

ครั้นได้สดับเรื่องนั้นจากกมลชะ (พรหมา) ผู้บังเกิดจากดอกบัว สนะกะก็เปรมปรีดิ์ในใจ; เขาฟังด้วยภักติ แล้วสำรวมตนด้วยความนอบน้อม กราบลง และบุตรได้ทูลถามบิดาถึงแก่นสารแห่งพระเวททั้งปวง

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• कमलजवक्त्रपद्मजाम्: the lotus-born-from-the-face-of-the-lotus-born (speech/goddess)
• कमलजवक्त्रपद्मजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमलज (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: ‘कमलजस्य वक्त्रस्य पद्मजा’ (ब्रह्मणः मुख-कमलोत्पन्ना = वाणी/सरस्वती) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-परम्परा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मुदितमनाः: whose mind was delighted
• मुदितमनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदित (कृदन्त; √मुद् (धातु)) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘मुदितं मनः यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सनकः: Sanaka
• सनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शम्/√शृ (धातु; ‘निशम्’ = to hear) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having heard’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विरचितविनयः: having performed humility / with humility shown
• विरचितविनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरचित (कृदन्त; √रच् (धातु) + वि-) + विनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: ‘विरचितः विनयः येन सः’ इति बहुव्रीहि-सम्भाव्य; प्रचलितः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्राय (विरचित-विनय = performed humility); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नम् (धातु) + प्र- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having bowed’

• पुत्रः: the son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पितरम्: the father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• अपृच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अशेषवेदसारम्: the essence of all the Vedas
• अशेषवेदसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: ‘अशेषाणां वेदानां सारः’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (सार)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sanaka (Kumāra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sanaka (youthful sage) sits with folded hands before Brahmā (lotus-born), who is seated on a lotus; Sanaka bows, then raises a respectful question about the essence of the Vedas; atmosphere of a quiet hermitage or cosmic lotus-court.

Characters & Entities

• Sanaka
• Brahmā (Kamalaja/Pitāmaha)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry begins with devotion and humility; sacred knowledge is approached through reverence and disciplined questioning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding narrative is Aruṇācala/Śoṇaśaila Māhātmya, though this verse chiefly frames the teacher–student dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it highlights praṇāma (bowing) and respectful questioning as a dhārmic approach to wisdom.