Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

त्वयैव दर्शिते मार्गे मर्यादां कर्तुमर्हसि । किं फलं भविता देवि कल्पितैस्तरुपुत्रकैः

Transliteration

tvayaiva darśite mārge maryādāṃ kartumarhasi | kiṃ phalaṃ bhavitā devi kalpitaistaruputrakaiḥ

Translation

وقال الحكماء: «ما دمتِ أنتِ قد دللتِ على الطريق بنفسكِ، يا إلهة، فينبغي لكِ أن تُقيمي الحدَّ والقاعدةَ اللائقين. فأيُّ ثمرةٍ ستنتج، يا ديفي، من هؤلاء “الأبناء المتخيَّلين المولودين من شجرة”؟»

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• दर्शिते: shown
• दर्शिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय: दर्शित)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘मार्गे’ इति विशेषण (shown)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मर्यादाम्: a boundary/standard (rule)
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to establish/make
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to do/make’

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भविता: will be
• भविता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कल्पितैः: with imagined/created
• कल्पितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय: कल्पित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘तरुपुत्रकैः’ इति विशेषण (imagined/created)

• तरुपुत्रकैः: with (these) tree-sons (adopted sons)
• तरुपुत्रकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरु-पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक; तरु + पुत्रक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Saptaṛṣis (the sages) addressing Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seven sages, after completing rites, respectfully question Parvati; Devī stands poised, embodying authority and compassion, with the consecrated aśoka tree between them as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Devī)
• Saptaṛṣis
• Taruputraka (tree-born son, conceptual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine intention should be expressed through maryādā—right order and discernment—so that actions yield genuine, dharmic results rather than merely imagined outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a counsel passage within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the sages urge establishing maryādā (proper norms) regarding the intended sacred outcome.