Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28
Devanagari script
तेन कर्मविपाकेन प्राप्तोस्मि गतिमीदृशीम् । मरुस्थले महाघोरे तरुतोयविवर्जिते
Transliteration
tena karmavipākena prāptosmi gatimīdṛśīm | marusthale mahāghore tarutoyavivarjite
Translation
त्या कर्माच्या विपाकामुळे मला अशी अवस्था प्राप्त झाली—मी भयंकर मरुभूमीत पडलो, जिथे ना वृक्ष आहेत ना पाणी.
Word by Word
तेनby that
तेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक (Masc/Neut), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular) — 'by that'
कर्मविपाकेनby the fruition of (my) karma
कर्मविपाकेन:
Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास ('कर्मणः विपाकः'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)
प्राप्तःhaving reached
प्राप्तः:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular) — 'having reached' (with 'अस्मि')
अस्मिI am
अस्मि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
गतिम्a state/condition
गतिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)
ईदृशीम्such (as this)
ईदृशीम्:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular) — विशेषण of 'गतिम्'
मरुस्थलेin a desert place
मरुस्थले:
Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमरुस्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular) — अधिकरण (location)
महाघोरेvery dreadful
महाघोरे:
Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास ('महान् घोरः'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular) — विशेषण of 'मरुस्थले'
तरुतोयविवर्जितेdevoid of trees and water
तरुतोयविवर्जिते:
Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (वर्ज् धातु + क्त; कृदन्त)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास ('तरु-तोय-विवर्जित' = 'devoid of trees and water'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular) — विशेषण of 'मरुस्थले'
Speaker
Rākṣasa
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A lone figure in a harsh, sun-scorched desert—no trees, no water—symbolizing karmic exile; the horizon shimmers, and the body language conveys thirst and remorse.
Characters & Entities
K
Karma-vipāka (fruition of karma)D
Desert (marusthala)FAQs
Actions mature into corresponding circumstances; adharma leads to barren, painful states of existence.
No tirtha is praised here; the verse stresses karma’s consequence through the image of an arid wasteland.
None directly; the implied prescription is ethical restraint in religious dealings to avoid karmic ruin.