Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

हत्यांशो हि ग्रहीतव्यो भवद्भिः कार्यसिद्धये । एवमुक्ताऽब्रुवन्वबृक्षा देवान्सर्वे समागताः

Transliteration

hatyāṃśo hi grahītavyo bhavadbhiḥ kāryasiddhaye | evamuktā'bruvanvabṛkṣā devānsarve samāgatāḥ

Translation

„Damit das Vorhaben gelingt, müsst ihr einen Anteil an der ‘hatyā’ (der Sünde des Tötens) auf euch nehmen.“ So angesprochen, erwiderten alle versammelten Bäume den Devas.

Word by Word

• हत्यांशः: a portion/share of the sin of killing
• हत्यांशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हत्या-षष्ठी + अंशः)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/समर्थक

• ग्रहितव्यः: should be taken
• ग्रहितव्यः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय), कर्मणि/विधेय-भावः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be taken/should be taken’

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कार्यसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the task
• कार्यसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• उक्ताः: having been told
• उक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having been told/addressed’

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• व: and
• व: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunctive particle)

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• समागताः: assembled, came together
• समागताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having assembled/come together’

Speaker

Sūta narrating; direct speech attributed to the Devas addressing the Trees

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly addresses a gathered host of trees in a Himalayan grove; the devas propose that the trees accept a share of ‘hatyā’ to accomplish a cosmic purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vṛkṣāḥ (Trees)
• Hatyā (sin of slaying)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the maintenance of cosmic order, even beneficent beings may bear limited burdens; dharma sometimes involves carrying a share for the greater good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region is the textual setting, though the verse focuses on a cosmological-ethical explanation rather than direct tīrtha-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns accepting a karmic ‘share’ within the story.