Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तदेवं शतसंख्येषु श्रेयस्सु पुरुषोत्तम । मम चैवं कुलस्यास्य श्रेयो यद्ब्रूहि निश्चितम्

Transliteration

tadevaṃ śatasaṃkhyeṣu śreyassu puruṣottama | mama caivaṃ kulasyāsya śreyo yadbrūhi niścitam

Translation

ดังนี้ท่ามกลางสิ่งที่ถูกเรียกว่า “ศุภผลสูงสุด” นับร้อยประการ โอ้ปุรุโษตตมะ ขอพระองค์โปรดตรัสชี้ขาดว่า อะไรคือศุภผลสูงสุดที่แท้จริงสำหรับข้าพเจ้า—และสำหรับวงศ์ตระกูลนี้ด้วย

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (discourse reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative; ‘that’)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (thus)

• शतसंख्येषु: among hundreds (of options)
• शतसंख्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (in hundreds of enumerations)

• श्रेयस्सु: among (various) goods
• श्रेयस्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (Locative plural)

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of men
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (thus)

• कुलस्य: of the family
• कुलस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive singular; ‘of this’)

• श्रेयः: the best good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Accusative singular; object of ‘tell’)

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (relative pronoun; Accusative)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• निश्चितम्: definite, certain
• निश्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√चि (धातु) + निश्चित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (decided/definite)

Speaker

Barbarīka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Puruṣottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Barbarīka, earnest and composed, asks Kṛṣṇa for a decisive verdict on the true highest good—not only for himself but for his entire lineage. The moment is weighty, like a turning point before a definitive teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Barbarīka
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Puruṣottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True guidance is sought from the highest authority; śreyas should benefit both the individual and the wider community/lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for definitive doctrinal instruction.