Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31
दैवं हेतुं वदंत्येवं भृशं कापुरुषाः पते । स्वयं पुराकृतं कर्म दैवं तच्च न हीतरत्
daivaṃ hetuṃ vadaṃtyevaṃ bhṛśaṃ kāpuruṣāḥ pate | svayaṃ purākṛtaṃ karma daivaṃ tacca na hītarat
«Le destin est la cause», disent les timorés, ô Seigneur, et ils le répètent à l’excès. Mais ce «destin» n’est rien d’autre que son propre karma accompli jadis—rien de plus.
Kanakakuṇḍala
Tirtha: Kāśī (general)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Yakṣiṇī (addressed as ‘pate’ in the verse’s vocative frame; narrative may involve role-played address)
Scene: A firm, instructive moment: Kanakakuṇḍala admonishes ‘timid men’ who blame fate; the scene shows a contrast—one figure slumped in resignation, another upright in resolve near a shrine path.
FAQs
The verse rejects helpless fatalism: destiny (daiva) is understood as the maturation of one’s own past karma, encouraging responsible dharmic action.
Not explicit in this verse; it is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative that frames dharma teachings within the sacred geography of Kāśī.
None; it is a doctrinal teaching urging effort and ethical responsibility.