Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 167

Devanagari script

वृत्र उवाच । श्रृणु वाक्यं मया चोक्तं धर्म्मार्थसहितं हितम् । त्वं देवानां पतिर्भूत्वा न जानासि हिताहितम्

Transliteration

vṛtra uvāca | śrṛṇu vākyaṃ mayā coktaṃ dharmmārthasahitaṃ hitam | tvaṃ devānāṃ patirbhūtvā na jānāsi hitāhitam

Translation

วฤตระกล่าวว่า: จงฟังถ้อยคำที่เรากล่าว—เป็นถ้อยคำเกื้อกูล ประกอบด้วยธรรมะและประโยชน์อันชอบ แม้ท่านเป็นจอมแห่งเทวะ ก็ยังไม่รู้แยกสิ่งเกื้อกูลกับสิ่งเป็นโทษ

Word by Word

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra
• वृत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उक्तम्: spoken, said
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यम् इति विशेषण

• धर्मार्थसहितम्: accompanied by dharma and artha
• धर्मार्थसहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यम् इति विशेषण; समासः—धर्मार्थयोः सहितम् (with dharma and artha)

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यम् इति विशेषण

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

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पतिः: lord
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हिताहितम्: what is beneficial and harmful
• हिताहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—हितं च अहितं च (benefit and harm)

Speaker

Vṛtra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śakra), with Devas present

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛtra addresses Indra with stern composure, delivering a dharma-laden rebuke; Devas stand behind Indra, tense, while the battlefield atmosphere is held in moral stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority without discernment is incomplete; dharma demands clear recognition of what truly helps or harms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified; the verse is part of a moral-theological dialogue within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is instruction centered on dharma, meaning, and discernment.