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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

व्यामोहमेव गच्छंति किं श्रेय इति वादिनः । यदेतेषु परं कृत्यम् नुष्ठेयं महात्मभिः

vyāmohameva gacchaṃti kiṃ śreya iti vādinaḥ | yadeteṣu paraṃ kṛtyam nuṣṭheyaṃ mahātmabhiḥ

Para pendebat yang berkata, “Apakah yang sungguh membawa śreyas (kebaikan tertinggi)?” hanya jatuh ke dalam kebingungan. Karena itu, di antara semua ini, apa pun yang merupakan kewajiban tertinggi hendaknya diamalkan oleh para mahātmā.

व्या-मोहम्delusion, confusion
व्या-मोहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvyāmoha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)
एवindeed, only
एव:
Sambandha/Avyaya (Emphasis/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis/limitation)
गच्छन्तिgo, fall into
गच्छन्ति:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√gam (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, present)
किम्what?
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Interrogative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
श्रेयःthe good, the better, welfare
श्रेयः:
Karma/Prashna (Interrogated object)
TypeNoun
Rootśreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
इतिthus, ‘…’
इति:
Sambandha/Avyaya (Quotation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; वाक्यपरिसमाप्ति/उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative particle)
वादिनःarguers, those who say
वादिनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvādin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)
यत्which, what
यत्:
Sambandha (Relative link/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
एतेषुamong these (options)
एतेषु:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Locative plural)
परम्highest
परम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; qualifying कृत्यम्)
कृत्यम्duty, what should be done
कृत्यम्:
Karma/Prashna (thing to be done)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
अनुष्ठेयम्to be performed
अनुष्ठेयम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootanu-√sthā + ya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; विधेय/भाव्य)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाव्य/विधेय-कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be performed’)
महात्मभिःby great-souled ones
महात्मभिः:
Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootmahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Narrative voice (context not explicit in snippet; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame typical)

Scene: Two disputants with raised hands and furrowed brows; behind them a calm mahātmā points toward a simple practice—japa beads, a liṅga, or a path leading to a shrine—symbolizing decisive sādhana.

FAQs

Mere debate about the ‘best’ path breeds confusion; the wise focus on practicing the highest, most fruitful duty.

No site is mentioned; the passage is ethical-philosophical.

It gives a general prescription: perform the highest kṛtya (duty) rather than arguing—no specific rite is named.