Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अविलोकयताऽत्मात्मना विबुधादयः । किं यज्ञैः किं तपोभिश्च किमुद्योगेन कर्मणाम्

Transliteration

avilokayatā'tmātmanā vibudhādayaḥ | kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ tapobhiśca kimudyogena karmaṇām

Translation

Wahai para dewa dan lainnya—tanpa menyaksikan Sang Diri oleh Sang Diri, apa guna yajña, apa guna tapa, dan apa guna jerih payah dalam perbuatan?

Word by Word

• avilokayatā: by not observing
• avilokayatā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Verb
• Root: avilokayat (कृदन्त; ava+√lok (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (by not looking/while not observing)

• ātmanā: by oneself
• ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• vibudhādayaḥ: the gods and others
• vibudhādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (vibudhāḥ ādayaḥ = gods and others)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक (what use?)

• yajñaiḥ: with sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक

• tapobhiḥ: with austerities
• tapobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Prashna/Artha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक

• udyogena: with effort
• udyogena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• karmaṇām: of actions
• karmaṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Sāmbā) teaching; narrated by Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vibudhādayaḥ (devas and others)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as guru gestures toward the heart/inner self; devas and sages appear introspective, some lowering eyes in meditation; ritual implements (ladles, fire-altars) lie to the side, deemphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Sāmbā)
• Devas (Vibudhas)
• Ātman
• Yajña
• Tapas
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual, austerity, and action bear their highest fruit only when grounded in Self-knowledge (ātma-darśana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the contextual frame; the verse presents the site’s narrative as a vehicle for liberating instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded; rather, the verse evaluates yajña/tapas/karma as incomplete without inner realization.