Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तद्वै बलं मत्वा सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् । कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थायां सर्वे मन्यामहे वयम्

Transliteration

tasmāttadvai balaṃ matvā sarveṣāmapi dehinām | kāryākāryavyavasthāyāṃ sarve manyāmahe vayam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ആ (ദൈവ) ശക്തിയെയാണ് എല്ലാ ദേഹികളുടെയും യഥാർത്ഥ ബലമെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, ചെയ്യേണ്ടതും ചെയ്യരുതാത്തതും തിരിച്ചറിയുന്നതിൽ അതുതന്നെ നിർണായകമെന്ന് ഞങ്ങൾ എല്ലാവരും കരുതുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्-शब्दस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं, अव्ययीभावेन कारणार्थे (therefore/from that)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object of ‘matvā’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संदर्भवाचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ (indeed)

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: Karma (Object complement with ‘tat’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: मन्-धातोः क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having considered)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Of all/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Additive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Of embodied beings/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थायाम्: in the determination of what should/should not be done
• कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कार्य-अकार्ययोः व्यवस्था)

• सर्वे: all (of us)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मन्यामहे: we think, we consider
• मन्यामहे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Apposition to ‘sarve’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Devas (the gods), within Sūta’s narration to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedārakhaṇḍa audience (ṛṣis/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like declaration: devas acknowledge divine power as the real strength guiding right and wrong action, with Kedāra’s austere landscape underscoring moral seriousness.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Dehin (embodied beings)
• Kārya-अkārya (right/wrong action)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True moral discernment (kārya vs. akārya) is stabilized by divine strength and grace, not merely by human effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse sits within Kedārakhaṇḍa, connected to Kedāra’s Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about dharmic decision-making.