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

Ce qu’on nomme « destin » n’est rien d’autre que l’acte accompli jadis, rien de plus. Ainsi, le sage doit, par son propre effort, s’appliquer à le contrecarrer.

Word by Word

• दैवम्: fated; divine
• दैवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मविशेषणम्

• पूर्वकृतम्: done previously; past-made
• पूर्वकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं कृतम्)

• कर्म: deed; action; karma
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कथ्यते: is said; is called
• कथ्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु; कथने)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• इतरत्: other; otherwise
• इतरत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other (than that)’

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्ति/पुनः-निपात (again; moreover)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; (निराकरणे इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः)

• निराकरणे: in removal; in refutation
• निराकरणे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निराकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Agent emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (by oneself)

• कार्यः: should be done
• कार्यः: Vidhana (Injunction predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done/should be’)

• विपश्चिता: by the wise (person)
• विपश्चिता: Karana/Agent-instrument (Instrumental of agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; (विपश्चिता = ‘by the wise person’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / narrative interlocutors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a seeker on karma: behind them a wheel motif (karma-cakra) and ahead the Viśveśvara shrine; the seeker rises from resignation to purposeful practice.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Destiny is the result of prior karma; wisdom lies in present right effort to reshape outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative setting, though the verse itself teaches a universal doctrine of karma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the prescription is ethical: apply personal effort to rectify karmic momentum.