Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु प्रतिज्ञाय विशेषतः । इदं तदिति वाक्यांते प्रोच्यते स विनिर्णयः

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmamokṣeṣu pratijñāya viśeṣataḥ | idaṃ taditi vākyāṃte procyate sa vinirṇayaḥ

Translation

ధర్మం, అర్థం, కామం లేదా మోక్షం విషయమై ప్రత్యేక ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసి, వాక్యాంతంలో ‘ఇదే అది’ అని తేల్చి చెప్పడం వినిర్ణయమని అంటారు।

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु: in (matters of) dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having undertaken; having promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): 'having promised/undertaken'

• विशेषतः: particularly
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'especially/in particular')

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-निपात (quotative)

• वाक्यान्ते: at the end of the sentence
• वाक्यान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोच्यते: is stated/uttered
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• सः: that (it)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिर्णयः: definite determination
• विनिर्णयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Satyavrata

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛs (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A debate or teaching session ends with the guru raising a hand in ‘nirṇaya’ gesture while a scribe writes the concluding line ‘idam tad’.

Characters & Entities

• Satyavrata
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic teaching should end in a clear conclusion, so the listener is not left in doubt about the intended meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse is methodological, not geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual appears; it prescribes clarity and conclusiveness in instruction.