Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

हत्यांशो हि ग्रहीतव्यो भवद्भिः कार्यसिद्धये । एवमुक्ताऽब्रुवन्वबृक्षा देवान्सर्वे समागताः

Transliteration

hatyāṃśo hi grahītavyo bhavadbhiḥ kāryasiddhaye | evamuktā'bruvanvabṛkṣā devānsarve samāgatāḥ

Translation

“कार्यसिद्धीसाठी तुम्ही सर्वांनी ‘हत्या’ (वधपाप) याचा एक अंश निश्चयाने घ्यावा.” असे सांगितल्यावर, जमलेले सर्व वृक्ष देवांना प्रत्युत्तर देऊ लागले.

Word by Word

• हत्यांशः: a portion/share of the sin of killing
• हत्यांशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हत्या-षष्ठी + अंशः)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/समर्थक

• ग्रहितव्यः: should be taken
• ग्रहितव्यः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय), कर्मणि/विधेय-भावः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be taken/should be taken’

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कार्यसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the task
• कार्यसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• उक्ताः: having been told
• उक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having been told/addressed’

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• व: and
• व: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunctive particle)

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• समागताः: assembled, came together
• समागताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having assembled/come together’

Speaker

Sūta narrating; direct speech attributed to the Devas addressing the Trees

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly addresses a gathered host of trees in a Himalayan grove; the devas propose that the trees accept a share of ‘hatyā’ to accomplish a cosmic purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vṛkṣāḥ (Trees)
• Hatyā (sin of slaying)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the maintenance of cosmic order, even beneficent beings may bear limited burdens; dharma sometimes involves carrying a share for the greater good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region is the textual setting, though the verse focuses on a cosmological-ethical explanation rather than direct tīrtha-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns accepting a karmic ‘share’ within the story.