Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इत्येतद्द्वादशविधं कर्म प्रोक्तं त्रिसंभवम् । अस्य भेदान्पुनर्वक्ष्ये येषां फलमनंतकम्

Transliteration

ityetaddvādaśavidhaṃ karma proktaṃ trisaṃbhavam | asya bhedānpunarvakṣye yeṣāṃ phalamanaṃtakam

Translation

وهكذا وُصِف هذا الكَرْم ذو الأنواع الاثني عشر، الناشئ من المسالك الثلاثة (العقل والقول والجسد). وسأعود فأبيّن تفريعاته، إذ إن عواقبه لا نهاية لها.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• dvādaśavidham: of twelve kinds
• dvādaśavidham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वादशविध = द्वादशानां विधाः यस्य (determinative)

• karma: rite; action
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• proktam: has been declared
• proktam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय

• tri-saṃbhavam: arising from three (sources)
• tri-saṃbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्रिसंभव = त्रयाणां संभवः यस्य (determinative)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• bhedān: divisions; types
• bhedān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (acc. pl.)

• punar: again; further
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनर् (adverb)

• vakṣye: I shall tell
• vakṣye: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yeṣām: of which
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• anantakam: endless
• anantakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anantaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Mahākāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching assembly where a sage/narrator announces a structured doctrine: twelvefold karma arising from mind, speech, and body, with palm-leaf manuscripts and attentive listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions of mind, speech, and body create extensive karmic chains; understanding their divisions helps one avoid endless harmful results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a transition within an ethical exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it signals continuation of teaching about karmic categories and their fruits.