Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः केनाप्युपायेन द्वयोरन्यतरेण तु । स्वायत्तं स्थानक कुर्म एतत्सञ्चिंतये मुहुः

Transliteration

tataḥ kenāpyupāyena dvayoranyatareṇa tu | svāyattaṃ sthānaka kurma etatsañciṃtaye muhuḥ

Translation

కాబట్టి ఏదో ఒక ఉపాయంతో—ఆ రెండు మార్గాలలో ఏదో ఒకద్వారా—నా ఆధీనంలో స్థిర జీవనోపాధిని స్థాపించాలి; ఇదే నేను మళ్లీ మళ్లీ ఆలోచిస్తున్నాను.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kāla/Anukrama (Temporal/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘then/thereupon’

• केन: by what/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• अपि: somehow/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — ‘even/also/somehow’

• उपायेन: by a means/method
• उपायेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन — genitive dual

• अन्यतरेण: by either one (of the two)
• अन्यतरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — instrumental singular; ‘by one of the two’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• स्वायत्तम्: self-controlled/under one’s own control
• स्वायत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + आयत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular; compound: स्व (own) + आयत्त (dependent)

• स्थानकम्: a place/position
• स्थानकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular

• कुर्मः: we make/let us make
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 1st person plural

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular

• सञ्चिन्तये: I reflect/ponder
• सञ्चिन्तये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — 1st person singular (Ātmanepada)

• मुहुः: again and again/often
• मुहुः: Kāla (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — frequency

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage sits with palm-leaf notes or counting beads, weighing two lawful paths of livelihood, with a forked road motif behind him symbolizing choice and self-mastery.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After rejecting impure support, one should seek a self-reliant, dharmic livelihood that preserves inner freedom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the concern is ethical livelihood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual; it is a practical dharma instruction: choose a sustainable, self-controlled means of support.