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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

व्यामोहमेव गच्छंति किं श्रेय इति वादिनः । यदेतेषु परं कृत्यम् नुष्ठेयं महात्मभिः

vyāmohameva gacchaṃti kiṃ śreya iti vādinaḥ | yadeteṣu paraṃ kṛtyam nuṣṭheyaṃ mahātmabhiḥ

Die Streitenden, die debattieren: „Was ist wahrhaft heilsam?“, geraten nur in Verwirrung. Darum soll unter all dem das höchste Pflichtwerk von den Großgesinnten geübt werden.

व्या-मोहम्delusion, confusion
व्या-मोहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvyāmoha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)
एवindeed, only
एव:
Sambandha/Avyaya (Emphasis/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis/limitation)
गच्छन्तिgo, fall into
गच्छन्ति:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√gam (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, present)
किम्what?
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Interrogative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
श्रेयःthe good, the better, welfare
श्रेयः:
Karma/Prashna (Interrogated object)
TypeNoun
Rootśreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
इतिthus, ‘…’
इति:
Sambandha/Avyaya (Quotation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; वाक्यपरिसमाप्ति/उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative particle)
वादिनःarguers, those who say
वादिनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvādin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)
यत्which, what
यत्:
Sambandha (Relative link/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
एतेषुamong these (options)
एतेषु:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Locative plural)
परम्highest
परम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; qualifying कृत्यम्)
कृत्यम्duty, what should be done
कृत्यम्:
Karma/Prashna (thing to be done)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
अनुष्ठेयम्to be performed
अनुष्ठेयम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootanu-√sthā + ya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; विधेय/भाव्य)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाव्य/विधेय-कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be performed’)
महात्मभिःby great-souled ones
महात्मभिः:
Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootmahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Narrative voice (context not explicit in snippet; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame typical)

Scene: Two disputants with raised hands and furrowed brows; behind them a calm mahātmā points toward a simple practice—japa beads, a liṅga, or a path leading to a shrine—symbolizing decisive sādhana.

FAQs

Mere debate about the ‘best’ path breeds confusion; the wise focus on practicing the highest, most fruitful duty.

No site is mentioned; the passage is ethical-philosophical.

It gives a general prescription: perform the highest kṛtya (duty) rather than arguing—no specific rite is named.