Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37
Devanagari script
आत्मज्ञानं परं केचित्समलोष्टाश्मकांचनम् । इत्थं व्यवस्थिते लोके कृत्याकृत्यविधौ जनाः
Transliteration
ātmajñānaṃ paraṃ kecitsamaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanam | itthaṃ vyavasthite loke kṛtyākṛtyavidhau janāḥ
Translation
কেউ আত্মজ্ঞানকে পরম বলে মানে—যেখানে ঢেলা, পাথর ও সোনা সমান দেখা যায়। এভাবে স্থিত এই জগতে করণীয়-অকরণীয় বিধানে মানুষ বিভক্ত হয়ে পড়ে।
Word by Word
आत्म-ज्ञानम्knowledge of the Self
आत्म-ज्ञानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootātman + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक); समास
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘आत्मनः ज्ञानम्’
परम्supreme
परम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifying आत्मज्ञानम्)
केचित्some (people)
केचित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkecit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (Pronoun, Nominative plural, Masculine)
सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनम्(that which makes one) equal toward clod, stone, and gold
सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsama + loṣṭa + aśman + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक); समास
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय: ‘लोष्टे अश्मनि काञ्चने च समम्’ (equal regarding clod, stone, gold); विशेषण (qualifying आत्मज्ञानम्/तद्वत्-पुरुषः implied)
इत्थम्thus
इत्थम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootittham (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/in this way’)
व्यवस्थितेbeing established, settled
व्यवस्थिते:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvyavasthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā with vi-ava)
Formसप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally with लोके (Locative singular: ‘when/where established’)
लोकेin the world
लोके:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)
कृत्य-अकृत्य-विधौin the rules about what is to be done and not done
कृत्य-अकृत्य-विधौ:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛtya + akṛtya + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक); समास
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘कृत्यं च अकृत्यं च’ + ‘विधिः’ (rules regarding what should/should not be done)
जनाःpeople
जनाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)
Speaker
Narrative voice (context not explicit in snippet; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)
FAQs
Because many paths are asserted as supreme, people become confused about right conduct; the verse points toward the need for clear dharmic discernment.
No tīrtha is named in this verse.
None; the verse describes a philosophical stance (equanimity born of Self-knowledge).