Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सेवामन्ये प्रपद्यंते श्ववृत्तिरिति या स्मृता । हिंसाप्रायां बहुक्लेशां कृषिं चैव तथा परे

Transliteration

sevāmanye prapadyaṃte śvavṛttiriti yā smṛtā | hiṃsāprāyāṃ bahukleśāṃ kṛṣiṃ caiva tathā pare

Translation

Manche wenden sich dem Dienst zu, den die Smṛti als „hündisches Auskommen“ bezeichnet; andere wiederum der Landwirtschaft, die von Gewalt und vielen Mühen erfüllt ist.

Word by Word

• सेवाम्: service
• सेवाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रपद्यन्ते: resort to/undertake
• प्रपद्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-pad (धातु √पद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्ववृत्तिः: dog-like livelihood
• श्ववृत्तिः: Samānādhikaraṇa/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: śva-vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक; श्वन्/श्व + वृत्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक निपात (quotative particle)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: is called/remembered
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु √स्मृ)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/remembered’

• हिंसाप्रायाम्: mostly involving violence
• हिंसाप्रायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṃsā-prāya (प्रातिपदिक; हिंसा + प्राय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (mostly violent)

• बहुक्लेशाम्: full of many troubles
• बहुक्लेशाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu-kleśa (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + क्लेश)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (having much hardship)

• कृषिम्: agriculture
• कृषिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण निपात (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परे: others (another group)
• परे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sārasvata (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting vignettes: a servant bowed before a master (dog-like dependence), and farmers ploughing while small creatures are harmed—overseen by a contemplative sage indicating the moral cost.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly wealth is earned through dependence and hardship; remembering this makes the sacrifice of giving (dāna) both difficult and spiritually significant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is moral instruction about livelihoods and suffering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides social-ethical context for why parting with hard-earned wealth is challenging.