Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । उद्यमः प्राणिभिः कार्यो यथाबुद्धि बलाबलम् । परं फलंति कर्माणि त्वदधीनानि शंकर

Transliteration

śrīviṣṇuruvāca | udyamaḥ prāṇibhiḥ kāryo yathābuddhi balābalam | paraṃ phalaṃti karmāṇi tvadadhīnāni śaṃkara

Translation

Śrī Viṣṇu sprach: „Die Wesen sollen sich bemühen gemäß ihrem Verständnis von Kraft und Begrenzung. Doch die letzte Frucht der Taten hängt von dir ab, o Śaṅkara.“

Word by Word

• श्रीविष्णुः: Śrī Viṣṇu
• श्रीविष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + विष्णु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् विष्णुः) — Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — 'said'

• उद्यमः: effort
• उद्यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्राणिभिः: by living beings
• प्राणिभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent group/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• कार्यः: should be undertaken
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'to be done/should be done' (agreeing with उद्यमः)

• यथाबुद्धि: according to (one’s) understanding
• यथाबुद्धि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-बुद्धि (अव्ययीभाव; यथा + बुद्धि)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषण — 'according to one’s understanding'

• बलाबलम्: strength and weakness
• बलाबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल-अबल (प्रातिपदिक; बल + अबल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः — Accusative singular (object of considering/knowing implied)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण — 'supreme/ultimate' (qualifying फलम्)

• फलन्ति: bear fruit
• फलन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: फल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् — 'bear fruit'

• कर्माणि: actions
• कर्माणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• त्वदधीनानि: dependent on you
• त्वदधीनानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वद्-अधीन (प्रातिपदिक; त्वद् + अधीन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वदधीन = तव अधीन) — Nominative plural, qualifying कर्माणि

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu speaks with calm authority to Śaṅkara: one hand gestures toward disciplined effort, the other toward surrender; Śiva listens as the sovereign of fruits, within the sanctified aura of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• karma
• udyama (effort)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do your rightful effort within your capacity, while recognizing that ultimate outcomes mature under the sovereignty of the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative framework; Kāśī’s sanctity forms the backdrop rather than being named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; it gives a dhārmic principle guiding action and surrender.