Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

एवंविधसहस्रैश्च युता दोषैः कृषिः सदा । अष्टगवं स्याद्धि हलं त्रिंशद्भागं त्यजेत्कृषेः

Transliteration

evaṃvidhasahasraiśca yutā doṣaiḥ kṛṣiḥ sadā | aṣṭagavaṃ syāddhi halaṃ triṃśadbhāgaṃ tyajetkṛṣeḥ

Translation

കൃഷി എപ്പോഴും ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള ആയിരം ദോഷങ്ങളാൽ ബന്ധിതമാണ്. കലപ്പ എട്ടു കാളകൾ വലിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ തന്നെയാണ്; അതിനാൽ കൃഷിഫലത്തിന്റെ മുപ്പതിൽ ഒരു ഭാഗം ധർമ്മാർത്ഥം ത്യജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• एवंविधसहस्रैः: with thousands of such (faults)
• एवंविधसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एवंविध + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• युता: endowed/associated
• युता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् past participle)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दोषैः: with faults
• दोषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृषिः: agriculture/ploughing
• कृषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अष्टगवम्: having eight cows (eight-oxen)
• अष्टगवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc, 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: should be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चय (causal/emphatic particle)

• हलम्: plough
• हलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिंशद्भागम्: a thirtieth part
• त्रिंशद्भागम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon/give up
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कृषेः: of agriculture/ploughing
• कृषेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A plough drawn as if by ‘eight oxen’ (symbolic weight of harm) moves through soil; beside it, the farmer offers a measured portion of grain in charity, restoring balance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even necessary livelihoods can carry hidden harm; dharma is upheld by conscious restraint and obligatory sharing/renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse focuses on ethical conduct (dharma) rather than sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical dharmic rule: set aside (renounce/donate) a fixed fraction—here stated as one-thirtieth—of agricultural gain.