Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

चत्वार्येतानि कृत्यानि मयोक्तानि च तानि ते । यथा तानि प्रकृत्यानि लोकद्वयमभीप्सता

Transliteration

catvāryetāni kṛtyāni mayoktāni ca tāni te | yathā tāni prakṛtyāni lokadvayamabhīpsatā

Translation

આ ચાર કર્તવ્યો મેં તને કહ્યાં છે; ઇહલોક અને પરલોક—બન્નેનું કલ્યાણ ઇચ્છનાર પુરુષે તેને સ્વભાવ સમાન નિત્ય આચરવા યોગ્ય છે।

Word by Word

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); निर्देशात्मक (demonstrative)

• कृत्यानि: duties / things to be done
• कृत्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उक्तानि: said (spoken)
• उक्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dative/Genitive 4th/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as / so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार/यथार्थबोधक (as/so that)

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रकृत्यानि: proper / in accordance with nature
• प्रकृत्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (natural/according to nature)

• लोकद्वयम्: the two worlds
• लोकद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभीप्सता: by (one) desiring
• अभीप्सता: Kartr-sambandha (Agent-associated)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-ईप्स् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → अभीप्सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs an attentive assembly, emphasizing four essential duties; the atmosphere is calm, didactic, and solemn, with palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual implements nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must become habitual: consistent practice of core duties secures well-being in both worldly life and the afterlife.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; it summarizes dharma teaching within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points back to the four ‘fruits’/duties described (Vedic practice such as Agnihotra, virtuous conduct, dharmic household life, and charity with righteous enjoyment of wealth).