Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सुहृद्वत्प्रतिबोध्यैनं प्रवर्तयति तत्त्वतः । काव्यालापादिकं यच्च कांतासंमतमुच्यते

Transliteration

suhṛdvatpratibodhyainaṃ pravartayati tattvataḥ | kāvyālāpādikaṃ yacca kāṃtāsaṃmatamucyate

Translation

应如善友（su-hṛt）般开示劝导，使其真实地趋入真如之道。凡属诗语、清谈等类——若为所爱者（kāntā），亦即高雅明辨者所认可——便称为可受持之言。

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.