Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72
Devanagari script
सर्वथोच्चपदारोहे यत्नः कार्यो विजानता । तन्न सिध्यति चेद्दैवान्नासौ दोषो विजानतः
Transliteration
sarvathoccapadārohe yatnaḥ kāryo vijānatā | tanna sidhyati ceddaivānnāsau doṣo vijānataḥ
Translation
അത്യുച്ച സ്ഥാനാരോഹണത്തിനായി വിവേകി എല്ലാതരത്തിലും പരിശ്രമിക്കണം. ദൈവവശാൽ സിദ്ധിയാകാതിരുന്നാൽ ജ്ഞാനിക്കു ദോഷമില്ല.
Word by Word
सर्वथाin every way
सर्वथा:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम्
उच्चपदारोहेin the ascent to a high position
उच्चपदारोहे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootउच्च (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक; from √रुह् with ā-)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उच्चस्य पदस्य आरोहः = ‘ascent to a high position’)
यत्नःeffort
यत्नः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
कार्यःto be done; necessary
कार्यः:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; from √कृ ‘to do’, ‘to be done’)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicative adjective) यत्नस्य
विजानताby the knowing person
विजानता:
Karana (Agent/means/करण)
TypeNoun
Root√ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formवर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘by one who knows’
तत्that
तत्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (refers to ‘that [effort/result]’)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः
सिध्यतिsucceeds; is accomplished
सिध्यति:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√सिध् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
चेत्if
चेत्:
Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; शर्तार्थक-निपातः (conditional particle ‘if’)
दैवात्from fate; by destiny
दैवात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कारणार्थे अपादानम् (‘due to fate’)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः
असौthat (person/thing)
असौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअसद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम
दोषःfault; blame
दोषः:
Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
विजानतःof the one who knows
विजानतः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Root√ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formवर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः, पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; ‘of the knowing (person)’
Speaker
Narrative voice (speaker not named; didactic counsel)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A didactic moment: a wise figure instructs a warrior about striving for the highest station; a symbolic ladder/peak in the background representing 'uccapada'.
FAQs
Dharma is fulfilled by sincere effort; outcomes may depend on daiva, so the wise remain blameless and steady.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a universal dharma principle.
None; it prescribes ethical exertion rather than a specific rite.