Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

अथ स्वर्गेऽथ नरेक स्थिताः कर्माभियंत्रिताः । शक्नुवंति वरानेतान्दातुं ते चेश्वराः कथम्

Transliteration

atha svarge'tha nareka sthitāḥ karmābhiyaṃtritāḥ | śaknuvaṃti varānetāndātuṃ te ceśvarāḥ katham

Translation

അവർ സ്വർഗത്തിലായാലും നരകത്തിലായാലും കർമം നിയന്ത്രിക്കുന്നവരായാൽ—‘ഈശ്വരർ’ എന്ന നിലയിൽ അവർ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള വരങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ നൽകാൻ കഴിയും?

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव-अव्यय (then/now)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-अव्यय (and then/also)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: being situated
• स्थिताः: Karta (Predicate of subject/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (ते)

• कर्माभियन्त्रिताः: constrained by karma
• कर्माभियन्त्रिताः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-अभि-यन्त्रित (प्रातिपदिक; कर्म + अभि + यन्त्रित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (कर्मणा/कर्मस्य अभियन्त्रिताः = नियंत्रिताः); विशेषण (ते)

• शक्नुवन्ति: are able
• शक्नुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वरान्: boons
• वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (वरान्)

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थे

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ईश्वराः: lords/masters
• ईश्वराः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Karaṃdhama (continuing the query)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king presses the question about Pitṛs’ lordship; the sage remains composed. Symbolic imagery shows a wheel of karma binding beings, while a stream of merit rises from offerings, suggesting lawful transfer beyond personal ‘lordship’.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Svarga
• Naraka
• Karma
• Vara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It questions apparent contradictions: karmic determinism versus the traditional belief that satisfied ancestors bestow blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription is given; it continues the inquiry about the results attributed to Śrāddha.