Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

कुतः पृथिव्यां चरसि खे त्वं नैव चरस्युत । एवं विचार्यमाणे ते भाषितं मुग्धवद्भवेत्

Transliteration

kutaḥ pṛthivyāṃ carasi khe tvaṃ naiva carasyuta | evaṃ vicāryamāṇe te bhāṣitaṃ mugdhavadbhavet

Translation

你为何能在大地上行走，却不能在虚空中行走？如此审察之下，你的话便如迷惑之人的言语。

Word by Word

• kutaḥ: why/from where
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Question adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)

• pṛthivyām: on the earth
• pṛthivyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (Singular)

• carasi: you move/walk
• carasi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• khe: in the sky/space
• khe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (Singular)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta (negation particle/न)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphatic particle/एव)

• carasi: you move
• carasi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• uta: or (rather)/indeed?
• uta: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa/Prashna-nipāta (particle/उत)

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Prakāra-avyaya (adverb of manner/एवम्)

• vicāryamāṇe: when (this is) being considered
• vicāryamāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√cār (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ/Śānac? (present passive participle sense), actually -māna (Ātmanepada) with ya-passive: vicāryamāṇa; Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (Singular), Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsaka (contextual); Locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Caturthī vibhakti (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana (Singular) (enclitic)

• bhāṣitam: speech/statement
• bhāṣitam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāṣita (कृदन्त; √bhāṣ भाष्, kta)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular)

• mugdha-vat: like a fool
• mugdha-vat: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mugdha (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (simile adverb/वत्)

• bhavet: would be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual speaker rebutting an argument)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points upward to the open sky while indicating footprints on earth; the opponent appears embarrassed; a small assembly of pilgrims watches, learning discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthvī (Earth)
• Kha (Sky/Space)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Claims about purity, identity, or agency must be consistent; careful inquiry exposes confused reasoning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is praised in this verse; it functions as a logical critique within the dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on reasoning and coherence of statements.