Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अविद्यांतर्गतैर्यज्ञकर्मभिर्न प्रयोजनम् । मम हिंसात्मकैरस्ति निगमोक्तैरचेतनैः

Transliteration

avidyāṃtargatairyajñakarmabhirna prayojanam | mama hiṃsātmakairasti nigamoktairacetanaiḥ

Translation

أمّا أنا فلا غاية لي في أعمالِ اليَجْنَا المحجوبة بالجهل؛ فهي طقوسٌ تُستشهد لها من الفيدا، لكنها تُؤدَّى بلا وعيٍ وبصورةٍ آلية، وفيها طابعُ الأذى والعنف.

Word by Word

• अविद्यांतर्गतैः: by those included within ignorance
• अविद्यांतर्गतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर्गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — अविद्यायाम् अन्तर्गताः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• यज्ञकर्मभिः: by sacrificial acts
• यज्ञकर्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — यज्ञस्य कर्माणि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose/benefit
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा — ‘(there is) no purpose’

• मम: for me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हिंसात्मकैः: by violent (harmful)
• हिंसात्मकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — हिंसाम् आत्मा यस्य/येषाम् (तत्पुरुष-भाव)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निगमोक्तैः: as stated in the Veda
• निगमोक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निगम (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — निगमेन उक्ताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अचेतनैः: by insentient (unconscious)
• अचेतनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator in dialogue (first-person; expressing a critique of violent ritualism)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm ascetic/teacher figure speaks firmly, rejecting ignorant, violent, mechanical yajña; behind him, ritual implements appear muted, as if demoted in importance.

Characters & Entities

• Nigama (Veda)
• yajña-karman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without wisdom and compassion becomes spiritually unproductive; true dharma requires inner awareness beyond mere performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; this is a doctrinal statement on the limits of certain yajña-karmas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It does not prescribe a rite; it rejects reliance on violent, mechanically performed sacrifices as spiritually purposeless.