Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततः पौरुषमालंब्य तत्कर्म परिशांतये । ईश्वरं शरणं यायात्सर्वकारणकारणम्

Transliteration

tataḥ pauruṣamālaṃbya tatkarma pariśāṃtaye | īśvaraṃ śaraṇaṃ yāyātsarvakāraṇakāraṇam

Translation

Darum soll man, gestützt auf das eigene rechte Bemühen, um die Folgen jener Taten zu besänftigen, beim Herrn Zuflucht nehmen — der Ursache aller Ursachen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• पौरुषम्: human effort, manly exertion
• पौरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष-तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन

• आलम्ब्य: having resorted to, relying on
• आलम्ब्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; अर्थः: ‘आश्रित्य/गृहीत्वा’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्मणः)

• कर्म: deed, action
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन

• परिशान्तये: for complete pacification/cessation
• परिशान्तये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन; द्वितीयाद्वितीयासमानाधिकरणम् (object-complement)

• यायात्: should go/should resort
• यायात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वकारणकारणम्: the cause of all causes
• सर्वकारणकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कारण + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कारणानां कारणम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage inquirer/assembly (Kāśī-māhātmya audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī, having reflected on past deeds, stands at a ghāṭa with folded hands, resolving to act rightly and surrender to Śiva, envisioned as the luminous ‘cause of causes’ above the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śiva (implied as Īśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do your rightful effort, but ultimately take refuge in Īśvara, the supreme source, to quieten karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s refuge is praised as the highest support.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction is inner—right effort joined with surrender to Īśvara.