Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नमस्कारं प्रणामं च कृत्वा जायेन्महाकुले । वाचयंश्चाग्रतः शास्त्रं मम ज्ञानी प्रजायते

Transliteration

namaskāraṃ praṇāmaṃ ca kṛtvā jāyenmahākule | vācayaṃścāgrataḥ śāstraṃ mama jñānī prajāyate

Translation

以恭敬礼拜与顶礼叩伏者，得生于显贵大族。又在我前高声诵读经典者，便成知我之人——具慧的虔敬者。

Word by Word

• namaskāram: salutation
• namaskāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namaskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• praṇāmam: bowing
• praṇāmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्यय; ‘having done’

• jāyet: is born
• jāyet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘is born/should be born’

• mahā-kule: in a great family
• mahā-kule: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् कुलम्)

• vācayan: reciting
• vācayan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vācaya (णिजन्त-प्रातिपदिक from vac धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘reciting/causing to be read’

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

• agrataḥ: in front
• agrataḥ: Desha-adhikarana (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘in front’)

• śāstram: scripture
• śāstram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• jñānī: a knower; wise person
• jñānī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• prajāyate: is born; comes into being
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced; verse conveys the deity’s promise via 'mama')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-devotee audience within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a lamp-lit Śiva temple: a devotee performs full prostration (ṣaṣṭāṅga praṇāma) before the liṅga; nearby, another devotee stands with palm-leaf manuscript, reciting śāstra aloud as the deity’s presence is felt as calm radiance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility in devotion and scriptural engagement together mature into true jñāna (spiritual understanding).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is identified; the verse emphasizes practices valid at any Śiva shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra/praṇāma (salutation and prostration) and śāstra-pāṭha (scripture recitation) before the deity.