Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

बले त्वं किं न जानासि कार्याकार्यविचारणाम् । धर्मो हि महतामेष शरणागतपालनम्

Transliteration

bale tvaṃ kiṃ na jānāsi kāryākāryavicāraṇām | dharmo hi mahatāmeṣa śaraṇāgatapālanam

Translation

Ô Bali, ne sais-tu pas discerner ce qu’il convient de faire et ce qu’il ne convient pas de faire ? Tel est le dharma des grands : protéger celui qui vient chercher refuge.

Word by Word

• बले: O strong one/child (address)
• बले: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• किम्: what/why
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• जानासि: do you know
• जानासि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कार्याकार्यविचारणाम्: discernment of what should and should not be done
• कार्याकार्यविचारणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + akārya (प्रातिपदिक) + vicāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कार्य-अकार्ययोः विचारणा)

• धर्मः: dharma/duty
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• महताम्: of the great (people)
• महताम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विशेष्य), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शरणागतपालनम्: protection of those who have sought refuge
• शरणागतपालनम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + pālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता-समासार्थ/विधेय), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शरणं आगतानां पालनम्)

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Bali)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada admonishes Bali with firm compassion, pointing toward the principle of protecting the refuge-seeker; Bali is shown as a powerful king listening, while Indra remains emotionally affected in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Nārada
• Dharma
• Śaraṇāgata (refuge-seeker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greatness is measured by dharma—especially the vow to protect anyone who seeks refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this verse itself emphasizes universal dharma rather than a specific tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the teaching is ethical—śaraṇāgata-pālana (protection of the surrendered).