Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नायं तस्यास्ति वै लोकः कुत एव परो भवेत् । तस्माद्विजानता यत्नात्त्याज्यमेव वृथा वचः

Transliteration

nāyaṃ tasyāsti vai lokaḥ kuta eva paro bhavet | tasmādvijānatā yatnāttyājyameva vṛthā vacaḥ

Translation

Sa gayong tao, ni kapakinabangan sa mundong ito ay wala—paano pa magkakaroon ng mas mataas na daigdig? Kaya ang nakauunawa ay dapat magsikap at talikdan nang lubos ang salitang walang saysay.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ayam: this (person/one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• lokaḥ: world/realm
• lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'whence/how')

• eva: even/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• paraḥ: another/higher
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhavet: could be/would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Causal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• vijānatā: by the knowing person
• vijānatā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग रूपेण प्रयोगः; 'जानता' = 'by one who knows'

• yatnāt: with effort/earnestly
• yatnāt: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'with effort/earnestly'

• tyājyam: to be abandoned
• tyājyam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (त्यज् धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: 'to be abandoned')

• eva: certainly
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'in vain')

• vacaḥ: speech/words
• vacaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative context (Maheshvara Khanda tradition: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating a dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: an elder/kingly figure admonishes a strong warrior about abandoning futile speech; the atmosphere is sober, corrective, and morally charged.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Useless talk harms both worldly well-being and spiritual progress; disciplined speech supports dharma and higher attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the teaching is universal and ethical rather than geographic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is behavioral: renounce vṛthā-vacana (futile speech) through deliberate effort.