Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

तद्यास्यत्यखिलं व्यर्थं तथा भस्महुतं यथा । वैश्वदेवांतमासाद्य यश्चैनं पूजयिष्यति

Transliteration

tadyāsyatyakhilaṃ vyarthaṃ tathā bhasmahutaṃ yathā | vaiśvadevāṃtamāsādya yaścainaṃ pūjayiṣyati

Translation

ചെയ്തതെല്ലാം പൂർണ്ണമായും വ്യർത്ഥമാകും—ഭസ്മത്തിലേക്ക് ഒഴുക്കിയ ആഹുതിപോലെ. എന്നാൽ വൈശ്വദേവത്തിന്റെ അവസാനം എത്തി ഇദ്ദേഹത്തെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കുന്നവന്റെ കർമ്മം മാത്രമേ ഫലപ്രദമാകൂ.

Word by Word

• tat: that (thing)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yāsyati: will go/turn into
• yāsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या-धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• akhilam: entire, all
• akhilam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vyartham: fruitless, vain
• vyartham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• bhasma-hutam: offering made into ashes / oblation to ashes
• bhasma-hutam: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + huta (हु-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भस्मनि/भस्मेन हुतम्)

• yathā: as, just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

• vaiśvadeva-antam: the end of the Vaiśvadeva rite
• vaiśvadeva-antam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvadeva (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वैश्वदेवस्य अन्तम्)

• āsādya: having reached/attained
• āsādya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√sad (आसद्-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having reached)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• enam: this (him/it)
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pūjayiṣyati: will worship
• pūjayiṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (पूज्-धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (with Brahmā and Viṣṇu prominent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at the end of the Vaiśvadeva rite turns from the fire-altar to a small shrine/stone icon, offering flowers and water; the contrast is shown between a grey ash-pit (futile offering) and a radiant deity receiving worship.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Pūjā
• Śrāddha
• Yajñapuruṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts without the ordained completion and worship become spiritually barren; proper conclusion safeguards merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse focuses on rite-procedure within tīrtha-māhātmya; it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At the end of Vaiśvadeva, worship the presiding deity (implied Yajñapuruṣa); otherwise the śrāddha is deemed futile.