Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

समित्पुष्पकुशप्रायैः साधनैर्यद्यचेतनैः । क्रियते तत्तथा भावि कार्यं कारणवन्नृणाम्

Transliteration

samitpuṣpakuśaprāyaiḥ sādhanairyadyacetanaiḥ | kriyate tattathā bhāvi kāryaṃ kāraṇavannṛṇām

Translation

సమిత్, పుష్ప, కుశముల వంటి అచేతన సాధనములతోనే ప్రధానంగా కర్మ చేయబడితే, మనుష్యులకు ఫలమూ కారణాధీన కార్యంలాగా తత్సమానంగా ఉద్భవిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• समित्पुष्पकुशप्रायैः: with things mostly (like) fuel-sticks, flowers, and kuśa grass
• समित्पुष्पकुशप्रायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समित् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — ‘समित्-पुष्प-कुशैः प्रायाः’ (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘mostly consisting of fuel-sticks, flowers, kuśa’)

• साधनैः: by means/instruments
• साधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अचेतनैः: by insentient (things)
• अचेतनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) — ‘is done’

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/in that way
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रिया-विशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• भावि: forthcoming / that will occur
• भावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भाविन्/भावि (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यदर्थक विशेषण (future-oriented adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘to be, forthcoming’

• कार्यम्: effect / result
• कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कारणवत्: having a cause
• कारणवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘having a cause’

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator in dialogue (continuing philosophical critique)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching scene where ritual items—samidha, flowers, kuśa—are shown as lifeless objects, while a luminous mind/heart motif indicates the true driver of results.

Characters & Entities

• kuśa
• samit
• puṣpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Results mirror causes: when worship is reduced to insentient materials, the outcome too becomes limited; inner consciousness is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a general principle about ritual causality rather than a place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references common ritual implements (samit, flowers, kuśa) and implies that ritual should not be merely material or mechanical.