Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

घटोत्कच उवाच । न हि न्याय्याः स्वका वक्तुं पूज्यानामग्रतो गुणाः । प्रवृत्ता एव भासंते सद्गुणाश्च रवेः कराः

Transliteration

ghaṭotkaca uvāca | na hi nyāyyāḥ svakā vaktuṃ pūjyānāmagrato guṇāḥ | pravṛttā eva bhāsaṃte sadguṇāśca raveḥ karāḥ

Translation

伽陀迦遮说道：“在应受尊敬者面前，自夸其德并不相宜。真正的德行自会显耀，如同太阳的光芒。”

Word by Word

• ghaṭotkacaḥ: Ghaṭotkaca
• ghaṭotkacaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭotkaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, singular)

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

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

• nyāyyāḥ: proper/appropriate
• nyāyyāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyāyya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); विशेषण (agreeing with guṇāḥ)

• svakāḥ: one's own
• svakāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); विशेषण (own)

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• pūjyānām: of the venerable
• pūjyānām: Sambandha (Of the revered/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• agrataḥ: in the presence (of)
• agrataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'in front/presence')

• guṇāḥ: qualities
• guṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• pravṛttāḥ: set in motion/active
• pravṛttāḥ: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravṛtta (कृदन्त; √vṛt with pra-)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• bhāsante: shine/appear
• bhāsante: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhās (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, plural, Ātmanepada)

• sad-guṇāḥ: good qualities
• sad-guṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (good + qualities); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

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

• raveḥ: of the sun
• raveḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• karāḥ: rays
• karāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Ghaṭotkaca

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: elders/pujyāḥ present in assembly (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ghaṭotkaca speaks respectfully, hands folded or lowered, declining to list his own merits; the imagery of sunrays can appear as a symbolic backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṭotkaca
• Ravi (the Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility is itself a virtue; genuine merit needs no self-advertisement and becomes evident through conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse teaches interpersonal dharma and humility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.