Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

आत्मज्ञानं परं केचित्समलोष्टाश्मकांचनम् । इत्थं व्यवस्थिते लोके कृत्याकृत्यविधौ जनाः

Transliteration

ātmajñānaṃ paraṃ kecitsamaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanam | itthaṃ vyavasthite loke kṛtyākṛtyavidhau janāḥ

Translation

ചിലർ ആത്മജ്ഞാനത്തെ പരമമെന്ന് കരുതുന്നു—അവിടെ മണ്ണുകട്ട, കല്ല്, സ്വർണം എല്ലാം ഒരുപോലെ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു. ഇങ്ങനെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ലോകത്തിൽ കൃത്യ-അകൃത്യവിധിയിൽ ജനങ്ങൾ ഭിന്നിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आत्म-ज्ञानम्: knowledge of the Self
• आत्म-ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘आत्मनः ज्ञानम्’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifying आत्मज्ञानम्)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kecit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (Pronoun, Nominative plural, Masculine)

• सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनम्: (that which makes one) equal toward clod, stone, and gold
• सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama + loṣṭa + aśman + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय: ‘लोष्टे अश्मनि काञ्चने च समम्’ (equal regarding clod, stone, gold); विशेषण (qualifying आत्मज्ञानम्/तद्वत्-पुरुषः implied)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/in this way’)

• व्यवस्थिते: being established, settled
• व्यवस्थिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyavasthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā with vi-ava)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally with लोके (Locative singular: ‘when/where established’)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• कृत्य-अकृत्य-विधौ: in the rules about what is to be done and not done
• कृत्य-अकृत्य-विधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtya + akṛtya + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘कृत्यं च अकृत्यं च’ + ‘विधिः’ (rules regarding what should/should not be done)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

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

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jñānī seated in meditation; before him lie a clod of earth, a stone, and a gold ornament—rendered with equal visual emphasis—while groups of townsfolk argue in the background about rules and duties.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because many paths are asserted as supreme, people become confused about right conduct; the verse points toward the need for clear dharmic discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a philosophical stance (equanimity born of Self-knowledge).