Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अशक्तः कश्चिदुत्स्रष्टुं प्रायो विषयवासनाम् । अतः कर्ममयी पूजा कामधेनुः शरीरिणाम्

Transliteration

aśaktaḥ kaścidutsraṣṭuṃ prāyo viṣayavāsanām | ataḥ karmamayī pūjā kāmadhenuḥ śarīriṇām

Translation

إن أكثر الناس يعجزون عن ترك الشهوات الكامنة نحو موضوعات الحسّ؛ لذلك فعبادةُ العمل (الكَرما) هي كـ«كامادهينو» بقرةِ تحقيقِ الأمنيات للكائنات المتجسدة.

Word by Word

• अशक्तः: incapable
• अशक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative singular; indefinite pronoun)

• उत्स्रष्टुम्: to abandon/let go
• उत्स्रष्टुम्: Kriya-artha (क्रियार्थ/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त, अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive in -tum); क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• प्रायः: generally, for the most part
• प्रायः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb)

• विषयवासनाम्: desire/latent tendency for sense-objects
• विषयवासनाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय-वासना (प्रातिपदिक; विषय + वासना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (Feminine, Accusative singular; object)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-निपात (indeclinable; causal particle 'therefore')

• कर्ममयी: consisting of (ritual) action
• कर्ममयी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-मयी (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मन् + मय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Feminine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative singular)

• कामधेनुः: wish-fulfilling cow
• कामधेनुः: Pradhana (प्रधान/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामधेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमा/रूपक-प्रयोग (Feminine, Nominative singular; metaphorical predicate)

• शरीरिणाम्: of embodied beings
• शरीरिणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder devotee, still surrounded by sensory temptations, offers flowers, water, and lamp to a Śiva-liṅga; the offerings transform into a radiant wish-fulfilling cow symbolizing karma-mayi pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu (metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Since many cannot instantly renounce desires, structured ritual worship becomes a powerful, accessible aid for spiritual progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse explains the practical value of ritual worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karmamayī pūjā—worship performed through prescribed actions and rites—is recommended for embodied practitioners.