Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
Devanagari script
दैवं पूर्वकृतं कर्म कथ्यते नेतरत्पुनः । तन्निराकरणे यत्नः स्वयं कार्यो विपश्चिता
Transliteration
daivaṃ pūrvakṛtaṃ karma kathyate netaratpunaḥ | tannirākaraṇe yatnaḥ svayaṃ kāryo vipaścitā
Translation
What is called “fate” is nothing but action done in the past—nothing else. Therefore, the wise must themselves exert effort to counteract it.
Word by Word
दैवम्fated; divine
दैवम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मविशेषणम्
पूर्वकृतम्done previously; past-made
पूर्वकृतम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं कृतम्)
कर्मdeed; action; karma
कर्म:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
कथ्यतेis said; is called
कथ्यते:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootकथ् (धातु; कथने)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध
इतरत्other; otherwise
इतरत्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootइतर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other (than that)’
पुनःagain; moreover
पुनः:
Sambandha (Discourse connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; पुनरावृत्ति/पुनः-निपात (again; moreover)
तत्of that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; (निराकरणे इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः)
निराकरणेin removal; in refutation
निराकरणे:
Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootनिराकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
यत्नःeffort
यत्नः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
स्वयम्oneself
स्वयम्:
Sambandha (Agent emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वयम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; आत्मवाचक (by oneself)
कार्यःshould be done
कार्यः:
Vidhana (Injunction predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootकार्य (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + य)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done/should be’)
विपश्चिताby the wise (person)
विपश्चिता:
Karana/Agent-instrument (Instrumental of agent)
TypeNoun
Rootविपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (विपश्चिता = ‘by the wise person’)
Speaker
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue-context)
Characters & Entities
K
KāśīFAQs
Destiny is the result of prior karma; wisdom lies in present right effort to reshape outcomes.
Kāśī is the narrative setting, though the verse itself teaches a universal doctrine of karma.
No ritual is specified; the prescription is ethical: apply personal effort to rectify karmic momentum.