Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

उवाच वाचं साधूंश्च यत्नात्पालयतां फलम् । दुष्टान्विनिघ्नतां चैव तत्फलं मम जायताम्

Transliteration

uvāca vācaṃ sādhūṃśca yatnātpālayatāṃ phalam | duṣṭānvinighnatāṃ caiva tatphalaṃ mama jāyatām

Translation

Er sprach: „Der Lohn gehöre denen, die die Guten mit Sorgfalt schützen; und denen, die die Bösen niederschlagen — jener selbe Fruchtlohn komme mir zu.“

Word by Word

• उवाच: he said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• साधून्: the good people, the righteous
• साधून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

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

• यत्नात्: with effort, carefully
• यत्नात्: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause; adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्ति (ablative; used adverbially), एकवचन (singular)

• पालयताम्: let them protect
• पालयताम्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural), आत्मनेपदम्; ‘let them protect’

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma/Phala (Result/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• दुष्टान्: the wicked (ones)
• दुष्टान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• विनिघ्नताम्: let them slay, destroy
• विनिघ्नताम्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural), आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्ग: वि-, नि-; ‘let them strike down’

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma/Phala (Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of that’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• जायताम्: let it be produced/come to be
• जायताम्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; ‘let it arise/become’

Speaker

Hari (Vāsudeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A martial yet restrained hero-figure speaks a vow-like utterance: ‘Let the merit of protecting the good and striking the wicked come to me.’ Background suggests a battlefield-camp with sages sheltered behind a protective cordon.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• sādhus
• duṣṭas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is defined as protecting the virtuous and restraining the wicked, while remaining detached from personal reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is an ethical-theological statement within a battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it speaks of moral action and the ‘fruit’ (phala) of dharmic deeds.