Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इत्येतद्द्वादशविधं कर्म प्रोक्तं त्रिसंभवम् । अस्य भेदान्पुनर्वक्ष्ये येषां फलमनंतकम्

Transliteration

ityetaddvādaśavidhaṃ karma proktaṃ trisaṃbhavam | asya bhedānpunarvakṣye yeṣāṃ phalamanaṃtakam

Translation

Ainsi a été décrit ce karma en douze formes, né des trois voies (mental, parole et corps). J’exposerai encore ses subdivisions, dont les conséquences sont sans fin.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• dvādaśavidham: of twelve kinds
• dvādaśavidham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वादशविध = द्वादशानां विधाः यस्य (determinative)

• karma: rite; action
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• proktam: has been declared
• proktam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय

• tri-saṃbhavam: arising from three (sources)
• tri-saṃbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्रिसंभव = त्रयाणां संभवः यस्य (determinative)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• bhedān: divisions; types
• bhedān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (acc. pl.)

• punar: again; further
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनर् (adverb)

• vakṣye: I shall tell
• vakṣye: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yeṣām: of which
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. sg.)

• anantakam: endless
• anantakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anantaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Mahākāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching assembly where a sage/narrator announces a structured doctrine: twelvefold karma arising from mind, speech, and body, with palm-leaf manuscripts and attentive listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions of mind, speech, and body create extensive karmic chains; understanding their divisions helps one avoid endless harmful results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a transition within an ethical exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it signals continuation of teaching about karmic categories and their fruits.