Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

किं कर्म्म किमकर्म्मेति तन्न पश्यसि दुर्म्मते । समर्थं केवलं कर्मन भविष्यति सर्वदा

Transliteration

kiṃ karmma kimakarmmeti tanna paśyasi durmmate | samarthaṃ kevalaṃ karmana bhaviṣyati sarvadā

Translation

Ô égaré, tu ne discernes pas ce qui est action juste et ce qui est non-action. L’action seule, par elle-même, ne sera jamais vraiment suffisante, en aucun temps.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun: neuter nom/acc sg)

• कर्म: action; ritual act
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun: neuter nom/acc sg)

• अकर्म: non-action; improper action
• अकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• इति: thus; as
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun: neuter acc sg)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्यसि: you see
• पश्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 2nd sg)

• दुर्मते: O foolish-minded one
• दुर्मते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative sg)

• समर्थम्: effective; capable
• समर्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg; qualifying कर्म)

• केवलम्: mere; only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg; qualifying कर्म)

• कर्म: action (karma)
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter nom sg)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• भविष्यति: will be; will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (simple future, 3rd sg)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern guru-like speaker in a Himalayan hermitage admonishes a ritual-proud pilgrim, pointing toward a distant Kedāra peak and liṅga, teaching that mere action cannot secure the goal.

Characters & Entities

• Karma
• Akarma
• Yajña (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action must be guided by dharmic discernment; mere performance without right understanding cannot ensure success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the teaching appears within the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ethical prescription: distinguish karma from akarma before undertaking rites.