Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

लोकद्वयेऽपि यत्सौख्यं तद्धर्मात्प्रोच्यते यतः । धर्ममेकमतः कुर्यात्सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये

Transliteration

lokadvaye'pi yatsaukhyaṃ taddharmātprocyate yataḥ | dharmamekamataḥ kuryātsarvakāryārthasiddhaye

Translation

Whatever happiness there is in both worlds is said to arise from dharma. Therefore one should practice dharma alone for the accomplishment of every aim and undertaking.

Word by Word

• लोकद्वये: in the two worlds
• लोकद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘लोकयोः द्वयोः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (locative singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also/even’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थकं सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• प्रोच्यते: is said/declared
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक (causal adverb) ‘because/for’

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एकम्: one/single
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘धर्मम्’ इति विशेषण

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्-अर्थे (consequential adverb) ‘therefore’

• कुर्यात्: should do/practice
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of all aims and tasks
• सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कार्य + अर्थ + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; ‘सर्वेषां कार्याणाम् अर्थस्य सिद्धिः’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (dative of purpose)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-context (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (vipra) addressed by Kamaṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful sage-like child instructs a brāhmaṇa assembly on dharma as the root of happiness in this world and the next; calm, didactic atmosphere.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as the single foundation for well-being in both worldly life and the afterlife, and as the means to fulfill legitimate aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse offers a universal principle of purāṇic dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it broadly enjoins steadfast practice of dharma.