Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अहंकारवृतेनैव कर्मणा कारितावयम् । यूयं च सर्वे विबुधा मनुष्याश्च खगादयः

Transliteration

ahaṃkāravṛtenaiva karmaṇā kāritāvayam | yūyaṃ ca sarve vibudhā manuṣyāśca khagādayaḥ

Translation

Par l’action (karma) voilée par l’ego (ahaṃkāra) seul, nous sommes poussés à agir; et vous tous de même—dieux, humains, oiseaux et le reste.

Word by Word

• अहंकार-वृतेन: by/with what is covered by ego
• अहंकार-वृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वृ/वृञ्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अहंकारेण वृतम्/आवृतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारिताः: caused/made (to act)
• कारिताः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कारित (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, causative sense: ‘made to do’); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विबुधाः: gods/wise beings
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• खग-आदयः: birds and others
• खग-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (खगाः आदयः येषां ते/खगादयः = ‘birds and others’); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic first-person voice explaining bondage through ahaṃkāra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of beings/pilgrims in Kedāra narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a divine teacher indicates a veil labeled ‘ahaṅkāra’ draped over a wheel of karma; around it stand devas, humans, and birds, all pulled by the same unseen thread, showing universality of bondage; Kedāra mountains and a distant liṅga shrine anchor the setting.

Characters & Entities

• Ahaṃkāra
• Karma
• Vibudhas
• Manuṣyas
• Khagas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego (ahaṃkāra) veils discernment and makes beings act under karmic compulsion; freedom requires loosening ego-identification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha; it functions as a universal teaching embedded in the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies sādhana that reduces ego and purifies karma.