Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

बाल उवाच । महदेतत्समाख्येयमेकाग्रः श्रृणु तत्त्वतः । इतः सप्ताधिके चापि सप्तमे जन्मनि त्वहम्

Transliteration

bāla uvāca | mahadetatsamākhyeyamekāgraḥ śrṛṇu tattvataḥ | itaḥ saptādhike cāpi saptame janmani tvaham

Translation

เด็กน้อยกล่าวว่า: เรื่องนี้ยิ่งใหญ่ควรเล่า—จงฟังด้วยจิตตั้งมั่นอย่างเอกัคคะ ตามความจริงแห่งตัตตวะ ต่อจากนี้ไป เมื่อนับต่อแล้ว ในชาติที่เจ็ด ข้าพเจ้า…

Word by Word

• बालः: Bāla (the boy)
• बालः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• समाख्येयम्: to be explained
• समाख्येयम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/अनिय-भावे - ‘to be told/should be explained’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• एकाग्रः: single-pointed/attentive
• एकाग्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (एकं अग्रं यस्य/एकाग्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (श्रॊता)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: truly/in essence
• तत्त्वतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘in truth/from the reality’

• इतः: from here/thereafter
• इतः: Apadana (Ablatival adverb/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘from here/thereafter’

• सप्ताधिके: after seven (more)
• सप्ताधिके: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तेन अधिके); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘after seven (years/units)’ (contextual)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• सप्तमे: in the seventh
• सप्तमे: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण

• जन्मनि: in (a) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

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

Speaker

Bāla (the mysterious boy)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The questioning interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Boy begins a solemn disclosure of past births; gesture of teaching (vyākhyāna-mudrā), listener attentive, atmosphere of gravity and truth.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Profound teachings require focused listening; the Purāṇic narrative uses past-life accounts to reveal karmic truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it introduces a past-life narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is mental discipline—ekāgratā (concentration) while hearing truth.