Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन किंचिन्नैव प्रयोजनम् । यस्माद्भवद्भिर्मिलितैः कृतं यत्कर्म दुष्करम्

Transliteration

ekatvena pṛthaktvena kiṃcinnaiva prayojanam | yasmādbhavadbhirmilitaiḥ kṛtaṃ yatkarma duṣkaram

Translation

Qu’il y ait unité ou séparation, il n’est point de véritable dessein sans juste compréhension ; car vous, réunis, avez accompli cette œuvre difficile.

Word by Word

• ekatvena: by unity / as one
• ekatvena: Karana (Mode/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• pṛthaktvena: by separateness / individually
• pṛthaktvena: Karana (Mode/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthaktva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अल्पार्थक/अनिश्चितार्थक (anything, something)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (not)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/only)

• prayोजनम्: purpose / use
• prayोजनम्: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yasmāt: because
• yasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (यसमात् = because/from which); हेत्वर्थ

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (all)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Karana/Karta-sahakāri (Agent group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• militaiḥ: assembled together
• militaiḥ: Karana (Accompaniment/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: milita (कृदन्त; √mil (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having assembled)

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (done) — अत्र कर्म (that which was done)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• karma: deed / act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-सम्बन्धी

• duṣkaram: difficult
• duṣkaram: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (karma)

Speaker

Śiva (Sāmbā) continuing the instruction; narrated by Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (addressed collectively)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva gestures to the assembled devas as a unified host, then indicates ‘no ultimate purpose’ without insight; a faint vignette shows their earlier ‘difficult deed’ as a background memory, contrasted with the calm of teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Sāmbā)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External unity or division is secondary; the real aim is right orientation to dharma and truth, which makes even hard tasks possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra remains the backdrop; the verse supports the didactic tone within the Kedāra sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical-spiritual counsel about intention, cooperation, and purpose.