Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

दैवं पूर्वकृतं कर्म कथ्यते नेतरत्पुनः । तन्निराकरणे यत्नः स्वयं कार्यो विपश्चिता

Transliteration

daivaṃ pūrvakṛtaṃ karma kathyate netaratpunaḥ | tannirākaraṇe yatnaḥ svayaṃ kāryo vipaścitā

Translation

إنما يُقال إن «القَدَر» ليس إلا الكَرْما التي فُعِلَت في الماضي، ولا شيء غير ذلك. لذلك يجب على الحكيم أن يبذل جهده بنفسه ليدفع أثره ويقاومه.

Word by Word

• दैवम्: fated; divine
• दैवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मविशेषणम्

• पूर्वकृतम्: done previously; past-made
• पूर्वकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं कृतम्)

• कर्म: deed; action; karma
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कथ्यते: is said; is called
• कथ्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु; कथने)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• इतरत्: other; otherwise
• इतरत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other (than that)’

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्ति/पुनः-निपात (again; moreover)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; (निराकरणे इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः)

• निराकरणे: in removal; in refutation
• निराकरणे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निराकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Agent emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (by oneself)

• कार्यः: should be done
• कार्यः: Vidhana (Injunction predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done/should be’)

• विपश्चिता: by the wise (person)
• विपश्चिता: Karana/Agent-instrument (Instrumental of agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (विपश्चिता = ‘by the wise person’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / narrative interlocutors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a seeker on karma: behind them a wheel motif (karma-cakra) and ahead the Viśveśvara shrine; the seeker rises from resignation to purposeful practice.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Destiny is the result of prior karma; wisdom lies in present right effort to reshape outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative setting, though the verse itself teaches a universal doctrine of karma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the prescription is ethical: apply personal effort to rectify karmic momentum.