Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

त्किंचिद्दैवाद्धठात्किंचित्किंचिदेव स्वभावतः । पुरुषः फलमाप्नोति चतुर्थं नात्र कारणम्

Transliteration

tkiṃciddaivāddhaṭhātkiṃcitkiṃcideva svabhāvataḥ | puruṣaḥ phalamāpnoti caturthaṃ nātra kāraṇam

Translation

କିଛି ଫଳ ଦୈବବଶେ, କିଛି ହଠାତ୍, ଆଉ କିଛି ସ୍ୱଭାବତଃ ହୁଏ; ପୁରୁଷ ଫଳ ପାଏ—ଏଠାରେ ଚତୁର୍ଥ କାରଣ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे (but/indeed)

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• daivāt: from fate/by destiny
• daivāt: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (by fate)

• haṭhāt: suddenly/forcibly
• haṭhāt: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; आकस्मिकत्वे (suddenly/forcibly)

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• svabhāvataḥ: from one’s nature/naturally
• svabhāvataḥ: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; स्वभाव-हेतौ (by nature)

• puruṣaḥ: a person
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• phalam: result/fruit
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• āpnoti: obtains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: आप् (to obtain)

• caturtham: a fourth (cause)
• caturtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (the fourth)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: here)

• kāraṇam: cause
• kāraṇam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm teaching scene: an elder sage instructs a seeker, with three symbolic streams labeled ‘daiva’, ‘akasmāt’, ‘svabhāva’ converging into a single fruit-bearing tree of ‘phala’.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life’s outcomes are multi-causal; dharma encourages clarity about destiny, nature, and unforeseen turns rather than fatalism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is philosophical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it frames the logic supporting purposeful practice like tapas.