Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

केवलात्मोदरार्थाय उद्योगं ये प्रकुर्वते । ते क्लेशभागिनो ज्ञेया नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

kevalātmodarārthāya udyogaṃ ye prakurvate | te kleśabhāgino jñeyā nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

Doch wer sich nur um des eigenen Bauches willen müht, ist als Teilhaber am Leid zu erkennen; darüber bedarf es keiner weiteren Erwägung.

Word by Word

• केवल: only, mere
• केवल: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदत्वेन अव्ययवत्/विशेषणरूपेण (as prior member in compound; adjectival)

• आत्म: self
• आत्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे मध्यपदत्वेन (as member in compound)

• उदर: belly, livelihood
• उदर: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे मध्यपदत्वेन (as member in compound)

• अर्थाय: for the sake of (mere) self-belly gain
• अर्थाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः: केवल-आत्म-उदर-अर्थ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + चतुर्थी (for the sake of)

• उद्योगम्: effort, enterprise
• उद्योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• प्रकुर्वते: undertake, do
• प्रकुर्वते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचन; उपसर्गः: प्र-

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative)

• क्लेश: trouble, suffering
• क्लेश: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदत्वेन (as prior member in compound)

• भागिनः: sharers in suffering
• भागिनः: Viśeṣya (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः: क्लेश-भागिन् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयाः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (to be known)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-भाव्य (gerundive/future passive participle: 'to be known')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कार्या: to be done
• कार्या: Predicate (to be done)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ धातोः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; भाव्य (gerundive: 'to be done')

• विचारणा: deliberation, consideration
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'कार्या' इत्यस्य कर्तृस्थानीया (what is to be done = deliberation)

Speaker

Mohinī (context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas (assembly at Naimiṣa, contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment within the amṛta episode: the moral contrast between self-serving effort and dharmic distribution, with Mohinī’s poised presence foreshadowed.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life driven solely by self-interest is portrayed as spiritually unfruitful and bound to distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is ethical instruction within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly encourages dāna and service by discouraging purely self-serving effort.