Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वेदोदितानि कर्माणि ईश्वरेण विना कथम् । सफलानि भविष्यंति विफलान्येव तानि च

Transliteration

vedoditāni karmāṇi īśvareṇa vinā katham | saphalāni bhaviṣyaṃti viphalānyeva tāni ca

Translation

ବେଦୋକ୍ତ କର୍ମମାନେ ଈଶ୍ୱର ବିନା କିପରି ଫଳଦାୟକ ହେବେ? ପ୍ରଭୁ ନଥିଲେ ସେହି କର୍ମମାନେ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ହୋଇଯାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• वेद-उदितानि: enjoined/uttered by the Veda
• वेद-उदितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्माणि)

• कर्माणि: actions/rites
• कर्माणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ईश्वरेण: with/by the Lord
• ईश्वरेण: Saha/Karana (With/by/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana/Separation (Without/अपादानभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition) — तृतीया/पञ्चमी-संबन्धे; अत्र तृतीया (ईश्वरेण) सह

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सफलानि: fruitful
• सफलानि: Karta-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (कर्माणि)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• विफलानि: fruitless
• विफलानि: Karta-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (तानि)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तानि: those (actions)
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Mahāviṣṇu (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu delivers a decisive doctrinal point: Veda-enjoined actions without the Lord are fruitless; Dakṣa’s ritual certainty is shaken into humility.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Veda
• Mahāviṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual and duty gain true efficacy when connected to the Lord; Īśvara is presented as the ultimate ground of karmic fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra Khaṇḍa context (Kedārakṣetra), though the verse is a universal principle rather than a site-panegyric.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Veda-enjoined karmas are referenced generally; the prescription implied is performing them with Īśvara-bhāva (God-oriented intent).