Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

परेषां क्लेशदं कर्म न कार्यं तत्कदाचन । परमेष्ठिन्परेषां यदात्मनस्तद्भविष्यति

Transliteration

pareṣāṃ kleśadaṃ karma na kāryaṃ tatkadācana | parameṣṭhinpareṣāṃ yadātmanastadbhaviṣyati

Translation

Un acte qui apporte la souffrance aux autres ne doit jamais être accompli. Ô Parameṣṭhin, ce que l’on fait aux autres, cela devient pour soi-même.

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• क्लेशदम्: giving trouble/pain-causing
• क्लेशदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म-धारक-विशेषणम् (accusative singular; adjective of karma)

• कर्म: an act/deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular; here subject of injunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Pradhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण कृदन्तः (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuyogin (Correlative/अनुयोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular; demonstrative)

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• कदाचन: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

• परमेष्ठिन्: O Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Pratiyogin (Relative/प्रतियोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; Nom./Acc. singular)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Gen./Abl. singular; here genitive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuyogin (Correlative/अनुयोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative; nominative singular)

• भविष्यति: will happen/come to be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Śiva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic proclamation to Brahmā: the moral law of non-harm and karmic mirroring, delivered in a calm but authoritative tone amid the tension of the yajña aftermath.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma forbids causing distress; karma mirrors one’s conduct—what is done to others returns to oneself.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is a universal dharma-teaching within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical injunction aligned with ahiṃsā and right conduct.