Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सुहृद्वत्प्रतिबोध्यैनं प्रवर्तयति तत्त्वतः । काव्यालापादिकं यच्च कांतासंमतमुच्यते

Transliteration

suhṛdvatpratibodhyainaṃ pravartayati tattvataḥ | kāvyālāpādikaṃ yacca kāṃtāsaṃmatamucyate

Translation

Hãy dạy bảo người ấy như một thiện hữu (su-hṛt) và khiến người ấy bước vào con đường chân thật. Còn những gì thuộc lời thơ, lời đàm đạo và tương tự—khi được người yêu quý (kāntā), tức bậc cao nhã và tinh tường, chấp thuận—thì được gọi là lời đáng thọ nhận.

Word by Word

• suhṛd-vat: like a friend
• suhṛd-vat: Sambandha (Adverbial qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suhṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable-like adverbial adjective); उपमानार्थे (like a friend)

• pratibodhya: having instructed
• pratibodhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati + budh (बुध् धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having instructed

• enam: him, this person
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; एतद्-प्रत्ययात्मक रूप (enam)

• pravartayati: sets in motion, prompts
• pravartayati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) + उपसर्ग-प्र

• tattvataḥ: truly, in essence
• tattvataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): in truth/essentially

• kāvya-ālāpa-ādikam: poetry, conversation, etc.
• kāvya-ālāpa-ādikam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāvya (प्रातिपदिक) + ālāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (क प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

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

• kāntā-sammatam: beloved-approved (type)
• kāntā-sammatam: Karma (Predicate nominal/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक) + sammata (प्रातिपदिक; √man (मन्) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate counselor-sage gently instructs a seeker, pointing toward a luminous path labeled ‘tattva’; nearby, poets/musicians recite sweet verses that support the seeker’s resolve.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guide others compassionately, like a true friend, and keep discourse aligned with truth and noble approval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives a general dharma-teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on ethical instruction and disciplined speech.