Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

किं ते द्विज बालप्रश्नैरमीभिः स्वल्पकैरपि । अस्माकं यन्निहीनं त्वं मन्यसे स ब्रवीत्वमून्

Transliteration

kiṃ te dvija bālapraśnairamībhiḥ svalpakairapi | asmākaṃ yannihīnaṃ tvaṃ manyase sa bravītvamūn

Translation

“ท่านพราหมณ์เอ๋ย คำถามเยี่ยงเด็กเหล่านี้จะมีประโยชน์อันใด แม้จะดูเล็กน้อยก็ตาม? หากท่านเห็นว่าพวกเรามีข้อบกพร่องประการใด ก็จงบอกกล่าวโดยตรงเถิด”

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — interrogative ‘what?’

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/4th), एकवचन — Dative singular (enclitic)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• बालप्रश्नैः: by childish questions
• बालप्रश्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल-प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; समासः बालानां प्रश्नाः/बालस्य प्रश्नाः

• अमीभिः: with these
• अमीभिः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (qualifying प्रश्नैः)

• स्वल्पकैः: small/trifling
• स्वल्पकैः: Karana (Instrument-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (qualifying प्रश्नैः)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/emphatic)

• अस्माकम्: of us / our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Relative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — relative pronoun ‘whatever/that which’

• निहीनम्: deficient/lacking
• निहीनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom/Acc singular (agreeing with यत्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मन्यसे: think/consider
• मन्यसे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd sg; आत्मनेपद

• सः: that (one/thing)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• ब्रवीतु: let (him/it) say / state
• ब्रवीतु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd sg

• अमून्: these (people/things)
• अमून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

Speaker

Munis (the sages) addressing the narrator/questioner

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The brāhmaṇa questioner

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder sage, slightly stern, questions the sincerity of the inquirer, calling the questions childish; the inquirer remains poised, ready to clarify.

Characters & Entities

• dvija (brāhmaṇa questioner)
• munis (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should ask maturely, yet teachers may invite frank speech so truth can be clarified without pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the manner of inquiry and response.