Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

सममेति विवक्षायां तदा सोऽर्थः प्रकाशते । वक्तव्ये तु यदा वक्ता श्रोतारमवमन्यते

Transliteration

samameti vivakṣāyāṃ tadā so'rthaḥ prakāśate | vaktavye tu yadā vaktā śrotāramavamanyate

Translation

เมื่อเจตนาจะกล่าวกับถ้อยคำที่เปล่งออกสอดคล้องกัน ความหมายย่อมส่องประกายชัดเจน. แต่เมื่อมีสิ่งที่ควรกล่าว และผู้กล่าวกลับดูหมิ่นผู้ฟัง,

Word by Word

• समम्: equally / in harmony
• समम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• एति: goes/comes; attains
• एति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विवक्षायाम्: in the intention to speak
• विवक्षायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-एकवचन (locative singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• अर्थः: meaning/sense
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• प्रकाशते: becomes manifest
• प्रकाशते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √काश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• वक्तव्ये: in what is to be said
• वक्तव्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तव्य (कृदन्त; √वच् + तव्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-एकवचन; भावे/विषये (in the matter of what is to be spoken)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-निपात

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• वक्ता: speaker
• वक्ता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √वच् + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• श्रोतारम्: the listener
• श्रोतारम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• अवमन्यते: disrespects / looks down upon
• अवमन्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced, Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two figures in dialogue; when their inner intent and spoken words align, a beam of light reveals the meaning between them; when the speaker belittles, the light dims and the listener turns away.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meaning becomes luminous when speech matches intention; contempt toward the listener destroys the power of instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse teaches etiquette and inner discipline in teaching and counsel.