Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

शृणु चाप्यपरं वाक्यमुच्यमानं मया मुने । मदर्थं कर्म कुर्वाणो मद्ध्यानो मत्परायणः

Transliteration

śṛṇu cāpyaparaṃ vākyamucyamānaṃ mayā mune | madarthaṃ karma kurvāṇo maddhyāno matparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

„Höre auch ein weiteres Wort, das ich dir sage, o Weiser: Handlungen um Meinetwillen vollbringend, über Mich meditierend und allein bei Mir Zuflucht nehmend …“

Word by Word

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/further)

• aparam: another
• aparam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vākyam)

• vākyam: statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ucyamānam: being spoken
• ucyamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'being spoken'

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग (pronoun), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे (by me)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mat-artham: for my sake
• mat-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mat (asmad-षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('मम अर्थः' = for my sake)

• karma: action
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• kurvāṇaḥ: doing
• kurvāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'doing'

• mat-dhyānaḥ: meditating on me
• mat-dhyānaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mat (asmad-षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद) + dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ('यस्य ध्याने मम' / 'who meditates on me')

• mat-parāyaṇaḥ: having me as the sole refuge
• mat-parāyaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mat (asmad-षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ('यस्य परायणं मयि' = devoted to me as the supreme refuge)

Speaker

Hari (Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari in teaching posture addresses the sage: one hand in vyākhyāna/abhaya, the other holding lotus; the sage listens attentively with palm-leaf manuscript nearby, indicating instruction on dedicating action and meditation.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu
• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrate work to God, keep steady remembrance, and live in surrender—this integrates dharma (action) with bhakti (devotion).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in Setukhaṇḍa and frames the spiritual conduct that makes tīrtha-sevā and pilgrimage fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mad-artha karma (offering actions to God) and mad-dhyāna (meditation on the Lord).