Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

यथा काष्ठमयो हस्ती यथा चर्ममयो मृगः । कार्यार्थं नैव सिध्येत तथा कर्म ह्यमन्त्रकम्

Transliteration

yathā kāṣṭhamayo hastī yathā carmamayo mṛgaḥ | kāryārthaṃ naiva sidhyeta tathā karma hyamantrakam

Translation

ดุจช้างที่ทำด้วยไม้ หรือกวางที่ทำด้วยหนัง ย่อมไม่อาจสำเร็จประโยชน์แห่งการงานได้ ฉันใด กรรมที่ปราศจากมนตร์ก็ฉันนั้น ย่อมไม่สำเร็จโดยแท้

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (indeclinable: as/just as)

• काष्ठमयः: made of wood
• काष्ठमयः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय; -मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मयट्: 'made of'); समास/निर्माणः—काष्ठ-मय

• हस्ती: an elephant
• हस्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (as)

• चर्ममयः: made of leather
• चर्ममयः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय; -मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मयट्: 'made of'); समास/निर्माणः—चर्म-मय

• मृगः: a deer
• मृगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कार्यार्थम्: for accomplishing the task
• कार्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'for the purpose of accomplishing a task')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle: indeed/just)

• सिध्येत: would succeed; would be accomplished
• सिध्येत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तथैव/एवमेव अर्थे (thus; likewise)

• कर्म: action; rite
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• अमन्त्रकम्: without mantra
• अमन्त्रकम्: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्-प्रत्यय) + मन्त्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अमन्त्रक = without mantra)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting vignettes: a carved wooden elephant and a leather deer shown as lifeless props; beside them, a living elephant and deer in motion. A worshipper with mantra-japa is contrasted with a silent, distracted performer.

Characters & Entities

• Mantra
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer form without the inner empowering principle (mantra) is compared to lifeless imitation—unable to yield real results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction appears in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha discourse, though the analogy is universal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure rites and religious actions are performed with mantra; otherwise they are deemed ineffective.