Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवमेव न चाप्येवमेवमेव न चान्यथा । कार्यमेव न वा कार्यं कार्याकार्यं तथा परे

Transliteration

evameva na cāpyevamevameva na cānyathā | kāryameva na vā kāryaṃ kāryākāryaṃ tathā pare

Translation

« C’est ainsi ! »—« Ce n’est pas ainsi ! »—« Ainsi seulement ! »—« Pas autrement ! » Ainsi certains débattaient : « Il faut agir », ou « Il n’est pas besoin d’agir » ; et d’autres contestaient ce qui doit être fait et ce qui ne doit pas l’être.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/limiting particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-शब्दः (particle: also/even)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारान्तरवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: otherwise)

• kāryam: what is to be done; duty
• kāryam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (only/indeed)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• kāryam: duty; what should be done
• kāryam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc sg)

• kārya-akāryam: the right and the wrong (to do/not to do)
• kārya-akāryam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + akārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (copulative: 'kārya' and 'akārya')

• tathā: likewise; so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: so; likewise)

• pare: others; the opposing party
• pare: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting the disputants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the Kedāra precinct, groups of brāhmaṇas argue loudly, gesturing and counter-gesturing, while the serene presence of Śiva’s sanctity looms in the background, contrasting noise with stillness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without inner clarity, even dharma-discussion devolves into contradiction; discernment must be grounded in realized truth, not slogans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Kedāra-khaṇḍa milieu frames the episode within Kedāra’s sacred Śaiva geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse portrays disagreement about duty (kārya/akārya).