Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अविलोकयताऽत्मात्मना विबुधादयः । किं यज्ञैः किं तपोभिश्च किमुद्योगेन कर्मणाम्

Transliteration

avilokayatā'tmātmanā vibudhādayaḥ | kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ tapobhiśca kimudyogena karmaṇām

Translation

يا أيها الآلهة ومن سواكم: إن لم يُشاهَد الآتمان بالآتمان نفسه، فماذا تُجدي القرابين (يَجْنَة)؟ وماذا تُجدي الزهادات (تَبَس)؟ وماذا يُجدي الكدح الشديد في الأعمال؟

Word by Word

• avilokayatā: by not observing
• avilokayatā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Verb
• Root: avilokayat (कृदन्त; ava+√lok (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (by not looking/while not observing)

• ātmanā: by oneself
• ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• vibudhādayaḥ: the gods and others
• vibudhādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (vibudhāḥ ādayaḥ = gods and others)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक (what use?)

• yajñaiḥ: with sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक

• tapobhiḥ: with austerities
• tapobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक

• udyogena: with effort
• udyogena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• karmaṇām: of actions
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Sāmbā) teaching; narrated by Sūta

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Sāmbā)
• Devas (Vibudhas)
• Ātman
• Yajña
• Tapas
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual, austerity, and action bear their highest fruit only when grounded in Self-knowledge (ātma-darśana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the contextual frame; the verse presents the site’s narrative as a vehicle for liberating instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded; rather, the verse evaluates yajña/tapas/karma as incomplete without inner realization.