Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कृतः प्रयत्नो हि महानमृतार्थं त्वया शठ । अश्वमेधशतेनैव यद्राज्यं प्राप्तवानसि । अपि तच्च पराधीन तन्न जानासि दुर्मते

Transliteration

kṛtaḥ prayatno hi mahānamṛtārthaṃ tvayā śaṭha | aśvamedhaśatenaiva yadrājyaṃ prāptavānasi | api tacca parādhīna tanna jānāsi durmate

Translation

ഹേ ശഠാ, ‘അമൃതത്വം’ നേടാൻ നീ മഹത്തായ പരിശ്രമം ചെയ്തു. നൂറ് അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങളാൽ നീ രാജ്യം നേടി; എങ്കിലും അതും പരാധീനമാണ്—ഹേ ദുർമതേ, നീ ഇതറിഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല.

Word by Word

• कृतः: done, made
• कृतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृतः’ = done/made

• प्रयत्नः: effort
• प्रयत्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रयत्नस्य)

• अमृतार्थम्: for the sake of amṛta (immortality)
• अमृतार्थम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; अमृत + अर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose) ‘अमृतस्य अर्थः’ = for the sake of nectar/immortality

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृ/करण), एकवचन; ‘by you’

• शठ: O deceitful one
• शठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्वमेधशतेन: by a hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधशतेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध-शत (प्रातिपदिक; अश्वमेध + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘अश्वमेधानां शतम्’ (hundred Aśvamedhas)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तवान्: have obtained
• प्राप्तवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्तवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्यय; perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परोक्षभूतार्थे—‘having obtained’

• असि: you are (i.e., you have)
• असि: Kriya (Auxiliary/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; सहायक-क्रिया (copula)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘तत्’ = that (kingdom)

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

• पराधीनम्: dependent on another
• पराधीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-अधीन (प्रातिपदिक; पर + अधीन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (राज्यस्य) ‘dependent on another’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘that (fact)’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु—ज्ञा (to know)

• दुर्मते: O evil-minded one
• दुर्मते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-मति (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दुष्टा मतिः यस्य’ (vocative)

Speaker

Unknown (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; addressing a proud ruler/deity—context suggests Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra is confronted: behind him, symbolic imagery of a grand Aśvamedha arena fades like a mirage, while the austere Kedāra landscape and liṅga remain steady; the message: sovereignty is borrowed, not absolute.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power and political sovereignty are not absolute; without higher grace and right understanding, they remain dependent and unstable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region frames the chapter, but this verse critiques pride in sacrifice and rulership rather than praising a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha is referenced as an act performed, not prescribed; the verse warns against relying on ritual for egoic immortality.