Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

केनाप्वुपायेन फलं हि साध्यमित्युच्यते पंडितैर्न्यायविद्भिः । तस्मात्सर्वैर्गम्यतां शीघ्रमेव कार्यार्थोभिश्चेन्द्रपुरोगमैश्च

Transliteration

kenāpvupāyena phalaṃ hi sādhyamityucyate paṃḍitairnyāyavidbhiḥ | tasmātsarvairgamyatāṃ śīghrameva kāryārthobhiścendrapurogamaiśca

Translation

„Durch welches Mittel wird die ersehnte Frucht vollbracht?“—so sprechen die Gelehrten, Kenner rechten Schlussfolgerns. Darum sollen alle sogleich aufbrechen—die dem Werk Verpflichteten, mit Indra an der Spitze.

Word by Word

• kena: by what; by which
• kena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• api: indeed/also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/also)

• upāyena: by a means; by a method
• upāyena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• phalam: result; fruit
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• sādhyam: to be accomplished; achievable
• sādhyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• ucyate: is said
• ucyate: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• paṇḍitaiḥ: by the learned
• paṇḍitaiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• nyāyavidbhiḥ: by knowers of logic/jurisprudence
• nyāyavidbhiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyāya-vid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समास: न्याय + विद् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘न्यायं वेत्ति’)

• tasmāt: therefore; from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थक-अव्ययप्राय (ablatival adverb); मूलतः षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-एकवचन रूप

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• gamyatām: let (us) go; one should go
• gamyatām: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग: ‘let it be gone/let (one) go’

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghram (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (restrictive particle)

• kāryārthobhiḥ: by those having a purpose/task
• kāryārthobhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya-artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समास: कार्य + अर्थ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कार्यस्य अर्थः’/‘कार्य-हेतु’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• indra-purogamaiḥ: by those led by Indra
• indra-purogamaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra + purogama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समास: इन्द्र + पुरोगम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘इन्द्रस्य पुरोगमाः’ = led by Indra)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śambhu (Śiva) (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of devas debates the proper means to achieve the intended fruit; Indra rises as leader, and the assembly prepares to depart swiftly on a mission.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes practical wisdom: choose proper means (upāya) through discernment, then act decisively in unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; it remains within the Kedārakhaṇḍa Himalayan mission-setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an instruction for coordinated action.