Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
Devanagari script
कारणाद्धर्ममन्विच्छन्न लोभं च ततश्चरन्
Transliteration
kāraṇāddharmamanvicchanna lobhaṃ ca tataścaran
Translation
അവൻ ധർമ്മത്തെ അതിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ കാരണവും ലക്ഷ്യവും തേടി, പിന്നെ ലോഭം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നു—ഇതുതന്നെ അവന്റെ സദാചാരം.
Word by Word
kāraṇātfrom a cause/reason
kāraṇāt:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootkāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन
dharmamdharma, righteousness
dharmam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
anvicchanseeking
anvicchan:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-√iṣ (धातु; इच्छ्) → anvicch (present stem)
Formकृदन्त—शतृ (वर्तमानकाले वर्तमानकृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी
lobhamgreed
lobham:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootlobha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: 'and')
tataḥthen, thereafter
tataḥ:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb: 'thereafter/then')
caranacting, moving, practicing
caran:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√car (धातु)
Formकृदन्त—शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A seeker consults elders or scripture, then walks away from a marketplace of temptations, holding only a waterpot and rudrākṣa, eyes steady.
FAQs
Dharma should be pursued with pure motive, not for greed or gain.
No location is mentioned; the verse is a general moral instruction.
None explicitly; it prescribes inner restraint from greed while practicing Dharma.