Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यूयं सर्वे त्वधर्मिष्ठाः स्तब्धाः पंडितमानिनः । कार्याकार्यमविज्ञाय केवलं मानमोहिताः

Transliteration

yūyaṃ sarve tvadharmiṣṭhāḥ stabdhāḥ paṃḍitamāninaḥ | kāryākāryamavijñāya kevalaṃ mānamohitāḥ

Translation

நீங்கள் அனைவரும் அதர்மத்தில் மூழ்கியவர்கள்—அகந்தையால் உறைந்தவர்கள், தம்மை பண்டிதர் என எண்ணுபவர்கள். செய்யவேண்டியது-செய்யக்கூடாதது அறியாது, வெறும் பெருமையில் மயங்கியவர்கள்.

Word by Word

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Apposition (to यूयम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विशेषार्थक

• अधर्मिष्ठाः: most unrighteous
• अधर्मिष्ठाः: Predicate adjective (of यूयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्मिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तद्धित—इष्ठ (superlative sense)

• स्तब्धाः: arrogant/obstinate
• स्तब्धाः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पण्डितमानिनः: thinking themselves learned
• पण्डितमानिनः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक) + मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (पण्डित इति मानिनः = those who think themselves learned)

• कार्याकार्यम्: what should and should not be done
• कार्याकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कार्यं च अकार्यं च)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing
• अविज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); नञर्थे ‘अविज्ञाय’ = not knowing/without understanding

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Manner adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); ‘only/merely’

• मानमोहिताः: deluded by pride
• मानमोहिताः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक) + मोहित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मानेन मोहिताः)

Speaker

Unknown (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a rebuking deity/sage within the Kedāra context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (Indra and others) and implied human audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine admonisher points out the gods’ hypocrisy: proud, self-styled scholars lacking discernment of right and wrong; the scene is an assembly with downcast faces and a stern teacher-like presence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride that masquerades as learning blinds one to dharma; discernment of right and wrong action is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa), though this verse itself is a moral rebuke rather than direct site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is ethical discernment (kārya–akārya-viveka).