Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सुशीघ्रमभिधावन्तं निजं कर्मानुधावति । शेते सह शयानेन तिष्ठन्तमनुतिष्ठति

Transliteration

suśīghramabhidhāvantaṃ nijaṃ karmānudhāvati | śete saha śayānena tiṣṭhantamanutiṣṭhati

Translation

A man’s own karma runs close behind him with great speed. When he lies down, it lies with him; when he stands, it stands alongside him.

Word by Word

• suśīghram: very quickly
• suśīghram: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: suśīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘अतिशीघ्रम्’

• abhidhāvantam: one who is running forth
• abhidhāvantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√dhāv (धाव् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ; वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त—‘दौडन्तम्’; उपसर्ग ‘अभि’

• nijam: one’s own
• nijam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• karma: karma (deed)
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• anudhāvati: follows/runs after
• anudhāvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√dhāv (धाव् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘अनु’

• śete: lies down
• śete: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (शी धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय/संबन्धबोधक—‘सह’ (with)

• śayānena: with (his) lying down
• śayānena: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √śī (शी धातु) + lyuṭ/ana (अन; भाव/करण) → śayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘शयन’ = lying/bed-state

• tiṣṭhantam: one who is standing
• tiṣṭhantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ; वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त—‘स्थित्वा/तिष्ठन्’

• anutiṣṭhati: follows/keeps up with
• anutiṣṭhati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘अनु’

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating within a Māhātmya discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler runs along a road to a holy place; behind him, a swift, personified ‘Karma’ figure mirrors his movement. In vignettes, when he lies down, Karma lies beside him; when he stands, Karma stands.

Characters & Entities

• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma is inseparable from the doer; it accompanies a person in every condition and cannot be outrun.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa (Tīrthamāhātmya section).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse is a moral-philosophical statement about karma’s constant companionship.