Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

स्वकृतान्युपतिष्ठंति सुखदुःखानि देहिनाम् । हेतुभूतो हि यस्तेषां सोऽहंकारेण बध्यते

Transliteration

svakṛtānyupatiṣṭhaṃti sukhaduḥkhāni dehinām | hetubhūto hi yasteṣāṃ so'haṃkāreṇa badhyate

Translation

ଦେହଧାରୀଙ୍କ ସୁଖ-ଦୁଃଖ ନିଜ କୃତ କର୍ମରୁ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ ହୁଏ। ଯେ ‘ମୁଁ କର୍ତ୍ତା’ ବୋଲି ଅହଂକାରେ ନିଜକୁ କାରଣ ଭାବେ, ସେ ଅହଂକାରବନ୍ଧନରେ ବଦ୍ଧ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• svakṛtāni: self-done (one’s own) deeds
• svakṛtāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘कृतानि’ इति, ‘स्व’ इति उपसर्जन; ‘स्वकृतानि’ = स्वयंकृतानि

• upatiṣṭhanti: approach/attend (come to bear)
• upatiṣṭhanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग ‘उप’

• sukha-duḥkhāni: pleasures and pains
• sukha-duḥkhāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• dehinām: of embodied beings
• dehinām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• hetu-bhūtaḥ: being the cause
• hetu-bhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (भू धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थ—‘हेतुरूपः’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतौ—‘indeed/for’

• yas: who/that which
• yas: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• teṣām: of those (deeds/experiences)
• teṣām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• saḥ: he/that (one)
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ahaṃkāreṇa: by egoism
• ahaṃkāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• badhyate: is bound
• badhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim stands at a sacred ford, watching reflections in water; behind him a subtle shadow-form labeled ‘ahaṅkāra’ clings, while deeds appear as seeds sprouting into fruits of joy and sorrow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering and happiness follow one’s own actions, and the bondage lies in egoistic doership; humility loosens that bond.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides an inner-spiritual teaching that complements outward pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is reducing ahaṃkāra through dharma, devotion, and right understanding.