Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । मर्त्यलोके नरा ये च स्वर्गमोक्षपराः सदा । तेषां विघ्नं त्वया कार्यं शुभकृत्येषु चैव हि

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | martyaloke narā ye ca svargamokṣaparāḥ sadā | teṣāṃ vighnaṃ tvayā kāryaṃ śubhakṛtyeṣu caiva hi

Translation

A Deusa Bem-aventurada disse: “No mundo dos mortais, aqueles homens sempre voltados ao céu e à libertação; em seus atos auspiciosos, deves, de fato, criar obstáculos.”

Word by Word

• श्रीदेवी: the revered Goddess
• श्रीदेवी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘श्रीरूपा देवी’; English: Feminine nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; English: Perfect, 3rd person singular

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘मर्त्यानां लोकः’; English: Locative singular

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: Masculine nominative plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम; English: Relative pronoun, nominative plural

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

• स्वर्गमोक्षपराः: intent on heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गमोक्षपराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (स्वर्ग + मोक्ष) ततः तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहिसदृश-प्रयोगः ‘स्वर्गमोक्षयोः पराः’ = तदनुरक्ताः; English: Masculine nominative plural ‘devoted to heaven and liberation’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: Genitive plural

• विघ्नम्: obstacle
• विघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Accusative singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन; English: Instrumental singular ‘by you’

• कार्यम्: to be done / should be made
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कार्य’ = यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive) ‘to be done’; विधेय-विशेषण; English: Neuter nominative singular ‘should be done’

• शुभकृत्येषु: in auspicious rites/actions
• शुभकृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘शुभं कृत्यम्’; English: Locative plural

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reason/emphasis)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, authoritative and calm, issues a paradoxical command: create obstacles for those pursuing heaven and liberation; the supplicant listens attentively, the devas watch in tense wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)
• Martyaloka (human world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obstacles can function as divine tests that refine sincerity, steadiness, and purity in the pursuit of dharma, svarga, and mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal within a tīrthamāhātmya chapter and does not itself name a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it references “śubhakṛtya” broadly (auspicious rituals and good works).