Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

कृत्वैतन्नश्यते कीर्तिर्यावदाचंद्रतारकम् । एवं संचिंत्य बहुधा गत्वा चैव वनांतरम्

Transliteration

kṛtvaitannaśyate kīrtiryāvadācaṃdratārakam | evaṃ saṃciṃtya bahudhā gatvā caiva vanāṃtaram

Translation

„Wenn ich dies tue, wird mein guter Ruf—der so lange währen soll wie Mond und Sterne—vernichtet werden.“ So dachte er immer wieder nach und ging in die Tiefe des Waldes.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: कृ (to do)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• नश्यते: perishes
• नश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal modifier/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल-परिमाणवाचक (until/as long as)

• आ: up to
• आ: Kriya-viseshana (Limit marker/सीमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; सीमा-निर्देशक (up to)

• चन्द्रतारकम्: the moon and stars (as a limit)
• चन्द्रतारकम्: Adhikarana (Limit/extent in idiom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + तारक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (चन्द्रश्च तारकश्च) समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; उपसर्ग: सम्

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/बहुत्ववाचक (in many ways)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: गम् (to go)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• वनान्तरम्: the interior of the forest
• वनान्तरम्: Karma (Goal as object of motion/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वनस्य अन्तरम्)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Agni’s thoughts and actions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled ascetic/householder figure pauses, imagining his fame shattering, then turns away from habitation and walks into a dense forest path under moon-and-star imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma destroys lasting merit and reputation; repeated discernment and withdrawal from temptation are portrayed as safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is specified; the setting shifts to a forest as a narrative space for inner struggle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes contemplation and physical withdrawal rather than a formal observance.