Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तेन सर्वं संभवंति सुखदुःझखात्मकं जगत् । परंतु संवदिष्यामि कार्याकार्यविवक्षया

Transliteration

tena sarvaṃ saṃbhavaṃti sukhaduḥjhakhātmakaṃ jagat | paraṃtu saṃvadiṣyāmi kāryākāryavivakṣayā

Translation

तस्मात्सर्वं प्रवर्तते सुखदुःखात्मकं जगत्। परं तु वक्ष्येऽहं कार्याकार्यविवेकहेतोः॥

Word by Word

• tena: by that/therefore
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• saṃbhavanti: arise/come into being
• saṃbhavanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-bhū (सम्+भू-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sukha-duḥkha-ātmakam: consisting of pleasure and pain
• sukha-duḥkha-ātmakam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (सुख-प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (दुःख-प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (आत्मक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of jagat); समासः—द्वन्द्व (सुख+दुःख) ततः तत्पुरुष (सुखदुःखस्य आत्मकम्)

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (जगत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• param: however
• param: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: param (परम्-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/परिवर्तनार्थ (but/however)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• saṃvadiṣyāmi: I will explain/speak
• saṃvadiṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-vad (सम्+वद्-धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kārya-akārya-vivakṣayā: with the intention of discussing what should and should not be done
• kārya-akārya-vivakṣayā: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (कार्य-प्रातिपदिक) + akārya (अकार्य-प्रातिपदिक) + vivakṣā (विवक्षा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे तृतीया (because of/with the intention of); समासः—द्वन्द्व (कार्य+अकार्य) ततः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्याकार्ययोः विवक्षा)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra/devas or an assembly in narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Teacher-figure in a Himalayan hermitage explaining cosmic emanation: a subtle vision of the world arising from Śiva (light from linga forming scenes of joy and sorrow), then pointing to a dharma-path scroll labeled kārya/akārya.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva (implied)
• Jagat
• Sukha
• Duḥkha
• Kārya/Akārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize the Lord as the source of the world, then practice dharmic discernment between right and wrong action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra context continues, but the verse primarily introduces ethical instruction (kārya/akārya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it signals an upcoming dharma-guidance section.