Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्वीयेन कर्मणा दक्षो हतो ब्रह्मन्न संशयः

Transliteration

svīyena karmaṇā dakṣo hato brahmanna saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ! സ്വന്തം കർമ്മം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ദക്ഷൻ നശിച്ചു—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• स्वीयेन: by his own
• स्वीयेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular; adjectival)

• कर्मणा: by (his) action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• हतः: was slain/killed
• हतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय-विशेषणम् (past passive participle; predicate)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (O Brahmā)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• न: not / no
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Pradhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular); वाक्ये विधेय-नाम (predicate noun)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing from previous verse)

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accountability is central to dharma: harmful pride and wrongdoing mature into consequences through one’s own karma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is ethical causality within the Dakṣa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.