Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आत्मनैव कृतं कर्म स्वयमेवोपभुज्यते । शुभं वा यदि वा पापं भोक्तारोन्यजनाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

ātmanaiva kṛtaṃ karma svayamevopabhujyate | śubhaṃ vā yadi vā pāpaṃ bhoktāronyajanāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

العمل الذي يصنعه المرء بنفسه إنما يذوق ثمرته بنفسه—خيرًا كان أو شرًّا. ولا يُعَدّ الآخرون مُتَمَتِّعين بنتيجته.

Word by Word

• आत्मना: by oneself
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — emphatic particle

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle, neuter singular (qualifying कर्म)

• कर्म: deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Karta-nirdesha (Agent specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — adverb

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — emphatic particle

• उपभुज्यते: is experienced/enjoyed
• उपभुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present, 3rd person singular, middle/passive sense ‘is enjoyed/experienced’

• शुभम्: good (result/deed)
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — disjunctive particle

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — conditional particle

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — disjunctive particle

• पापम्: sin/evil (result)
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• भोक्तारः: enjoyers/experiencers
• भोक्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (तृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — agent noun, masculine nominative plural

• अन्यजनाः: other people
• अन्यजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural; कर्मधारयः (अन्ये जनाः)

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — past passive participle ‘are considered/remembered’

Speaker

Father

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: putra (son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: father as teacher, son as student; the air feels still, as if a moral law has been pronounced; symbolic imagery could include a balance scale or a wheel (cakra) of karma subtly in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma is inescapably individual: one reaps exactly what one sows, whether merit or sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a universal dharma teaching within a Mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about karmic fruition.