Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

स्वकर्मसिद्धये चाथ सर्व एव हि चेश्वरः । ईश्वरः कर्मणां साक्षी यत्त्वयापीति भाषितम्

Transliteration

svakarmasiddhaye cātha sarva eva hi ceśvaraḥ | īśvaraḥ karmaṇāṃ sākṣī yattvayāpīti bhāṣitam

Translation

„Ferner gilt: Zum Gelingen der eigenen Handlungen ist jeder in gewissem Sinne ein ‚Herr‘ als Handelnder. Doch Īśvara ist der Zeuge der Taten—auch dies hast du ausgesprochen.“

Word by Word

• स्व-कर्म-सिद्धये: for the accomplishment of one’s own acts
• स्व-कर्म-सिद्धये: Sampradāna (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वस्य कर्मणः सिद्धिः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• अथ: then, now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/particle: then/now)

• सर्वः: everyone, all
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/emphasis)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/निश्चय: for/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• ईश्वरः: a lord, master
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय/प्रत्यय (predicate nominative)

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कर्मणाम्: of actions
• कर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• साक्षी: witness
• साक्षी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object of ‘भाषितम्’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/also)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker/वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण-चिह्न/quotative particle)

• भाषितम्: was said, has been spoken
• भाषितम्: Kriyā (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु) → भाषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (passive sense): ‘(इदं) भाषितम्’

Speaker

Dakṣa (probable, arguing while referencing the other’s statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative composition: a human figure symbolizing the agent stands before the yajña, while above/behind, an all-seeing divine presence (Śiva as sākṣī) is suggested through an eye-like halo or liṅga silhouette, indicating witnessing beyond human control.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human agency operates, but moral accountability is upheld by the Lord as the ever-present witness of karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting supports a Śaiva worldview where Śiva is the ultimate sākṣī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about karma, agency, and divine witnessing.