Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गो हि यथा पुंसां कृतो हि सुपरिष्कृतः । विपरीतो भवत्येव विना देवेन नान्यथा

Transliteration

trivargo hi yathā puṃsāṃ kṛto hi supariṣkṛtaḥ | viparīto bhavatyeva vinā devena nānyathā

Translation

حتى «مقاصد الحياة الثلاثة» للناس، وإن كانت مُحكَمة الترتيب (الدارما، والأرثا، والكاما)، تنقلب إلى ضدّها إذا غاب الديفا، الربّ الإلهي؛ ولا يكون الأمر على غير ذلك.

Word by Word

• त्रिवर्गः: the triad (three aims/classes)
• त्रिवर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (त्रयः वर्गाः)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-प्रयोग

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/यथार्थक (as/just as)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कृतः: made, done
• कृतः: Karma (Predicate participle relating to subject/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• सुपरिष्कृतः: well-refined, well-arranged
• सुपरिष्कृतः: Visheshana (Adjective of त्रिवर्गः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + परि (उपसर्ग) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: परि+कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘सु’ उपसर्गेण विशेषित; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विपरीतः: reversed, contrary
• विपरीतः: Visheshya-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: certainly, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थ उपपद, तृतीया-योग्य (without + Instr.)

• देवेन: with the God; by God (i.e., without God)
• देवेन: Apadana (Object of ‘vinā’/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

Speaker

Devas (the gods), within Sūta’s narration to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutors/ṛṣis (Kedārakhaṇḍa audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment in the Himalayan divine assembly: the truth that human aims invert without the Lord is proclaimed against a backdrop of snow peaks and a distant Kedāra shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Lord)
• Trivarga (dharma-artha-kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human goals succeed only when rooted in devotion and divine alignment; otherwise even ‘good’ pursuits become destructive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the chapter occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra-centered sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse teaches a dharma principle: the trivarga must be guided by the Deva.