Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

लोकद्वयेऽपि यत्सौख्यं तद्धर्मात्प्रोच्यते यतः । धर्ममेकमतः कुर्यात्सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये

Transliteration

lokadvaye'pi yatsaukhyaṃ taddharmātprocyate yataḥ | dharmamekamataḥ kuryātsarvakāryārthasiddhaye

Translation

ഇരു ലോകങ്ങളിലും ഉള്ള സുഖമൊക്കെയും ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നത് എന്നു പറയുന്നു. അതുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ കാര്യങ്ങളും ലക്ഷ്യങ്ങളും സിദ്ധിക്കുവാൻ ധർമ്മം മാത്രമേ ആചരിക്കേണ്ടത്.

Word by Word

• लोकद्वये: in the two worlds
• लोकद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘लोकयोः द्वयोः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (locative singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also/even’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थकं सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• प्रोच्यते: is said/declared
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक (causal adverb) ‘because/for’

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एकम्: one/single
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘धर्मम्’ इति विशेषण

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्-अर्थे (consequential adverb) ‘therefore’

• कुर्यात्: should do/practice
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of all aims and tasks
• सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कार्य + अर्थ + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; ‘सर्वेषां कार्याणाम् अर्थस्य सिद्धिः’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (dative of purpose)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-context (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (vipra) addressed by Kamaṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful sage-like child instructs a brāhmaṇa assembly on dharma as the root of happiness in this world and the next; calm, didactic atmosphere.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is presented as the single foundation for well-being in both worldly life and the afterlife, and as the means to fulfill legitimate aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse offers a universal principle of purāṇic dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; it broadly enjoins steadfast practice of dharma.