Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सेवामन्ये प्रपद्यंते श्ववृत्तिरिति या स्मृता । हिंसाप्रायां बहुक्लेशां कृषिं चैव तथा परे

Transliteration

sevāmanye prapadyaṃte śvavṛttiriti yā smṛtā | hiṃsāprāyāṃ bahukleśāṃ kṛṣiṃ caiva tathā pare

Translation

ومن الناس من يلجأ إلى الخدمة، وهي في السمرتي تُسمّى «معيشة كالكلب»؛ وآخرون يتجهون إلى الزراعة، وهي كثيرة العناء، يغلب عليها الأذى والعنف.

Word by Word

• सेवाम्: service
• सेवाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रपद्यन्ते: resort to/undertake
• प्रपद्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-pad (धातु √पद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्ववृत्तिः: dog-like livelihood
• श्ववृत्तिः: Samānādhikaraṇa/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: śva-vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक; श्वन्/श्व + वृत्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक निपात (quotative particle)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: is called/remembered
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु √स्मृ)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/remembered’

• हिंसाप्रायाम्: mostly involving violence
• हिंसाप्रायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṃsā-prāya (प्रातिपदिक; हिंसा + प्राय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (mostly violent)

• बहुक्लेशाम्: full of many troubles
• बहुक्लेशाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu-kleśa (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + क्लेश)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (having much hardship)

• कृषिम्: agriculture
• कृषिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण निपात (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परे: others (another group)
• परे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sārasvata (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting vignettes: a servant bowed before a master (dog-like dependence), and farmers ploughing while small creatures are harmed—overseen by a contemplative sage indicating the moral cost.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly wealth is earned through dependence and hardship; remembering this makes the sacrifice of giving (dāna) both difficult and spiritually significant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is moral instruction about livelihoods and suffering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides social-ethical context for why parting with hard-earned wealth is challenging.