Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कर्त्तव्यं च प्रयत्नेन नान्यथा मम भाषितम्

Transliteration

karttavyaṃ ca prayatnena nānyathā mama bhāṣitam

Translation

এই কাম প্ৰচেষ্টাৰে কৰিব লাগিব—মই যিদৰে কৈছোঁ, তাৰ বাহিৰে কেতিয়াও নহয়।

Word by Word

• karttavyam: must be done
• karttavyam: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate: “to be done”)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhāṣitam: statement/what I have said
• bhāṣitam: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता-स्थानी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √bhāṣ (धातु) + -ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “what is spoken/said”

Speaker

Yama (implied by the immediate continuation with 'kāla uvāca')

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dūtāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of the commander’s firm gesture—palm outward or finger raised—while messengers bow, signaling unwavering compliance.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by disciplined obedience to righteous instruction, carried out with sincere effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with Kedāra/Kedārnāth sacred geography, though this verse itself is an injunction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it stresses strict adherence to the given command.