Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तेन किं नाम संसाध्यं भूमिस्तं ग्रसते नरम्

Transliteration

tena kiṃ nāma saṃsādhyaṃ bhūmistaṃ grasate naram

Translation

Was wird in Wahrheit durch eine solche Lebensweise erreicht? Am Ende verschlingt die Erde jenen Mann.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that, with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (प्रश्नार्थक)

• नाम: indeed, at all
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — प्रश्ने/विस्मये ‘indeed/at all’

• संसाध्यम्: to be accomplished, achievable
• संसाध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + साध् (धातु) → संसाध्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थसदृश; here as -य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be accomplished/achievable’

• भूमिः: the earth
• भूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ग्रसते: swallows, devours
• ग्रसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नरम्: man, person
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas / Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a man absorbed in futile pursuits stands on crumbling ground; the earth opens as a symbolic grave. Above, a faint path of light suggests dharma/tapas as the only enduring accomplishment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly calculations are futile before death; one should pursue dharma and the merit-giving path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly tied to the Stambhatīrtha-centered narrative of this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse motivates renunciation of fear-driven living in favor of dharmic action.