Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

कृत्वैतन्नश्यते कीर्तिर्यावदाचंद्रतारकम् । एवं संचिंत्य बहुधा गत्वा चैव वनांतरम्

Transliteration

kṛtvaitannaśyate kīrtiryāvadācaṃdratārakam | evaṃ saṃciṃtya bahudhā gatvā caiva vanāṃtaram

Translation

“ഞാൻ ഇത് ചെയ്താൽ, ചന്ദ്രനും നക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്ര കാലം നിലനിൽക്കേണ്ട എന്റെ സത്കീർത്തി നശിക്കും.” ഇങ്ങനെ പലവട്ടം ചിന്തിച്ച് അവൻ വനത്തിന്റെ ഗഹനത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: कृ (to do)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• नश्यते: perishes
• नश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal modifier/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; काल-परिमाणवाचक (until/as long as)

• आ: up to
• आ: Kriya-viseshana (Limit marker/सीमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; सीमा-निर्देशक (up to)

• चन्द्रतारकम्: the moon and stars (as a limit)
• चन्द्रतारकम्: Adhikarana (Limit/extent in idiom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + तारक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (चन्द्रश्च तारकश्च) समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; उपसर्ग: सम्

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/बहुत्ववाचक (in many ways)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: गम् (to go)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• वनान्तरम्: the interior of the forest
• वनान्तरम्: Karma (Goal as object of motion/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वनस्य अन्तरम्)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting Agni’s thoughts and actions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A troubled ascetic/householder figure pauses, imagining his fame shattering, then turns away from habitation and walks into a dense forest path under moon-and-star imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma destroys lasting merit and reputation; repeated discernment and withdrawal from temptation are portrayed as safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is specified; the setting shifts to a forest as a narrative space for inner struggle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes contemplation and physical withdrawal rather than a formal observance.