Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अथ संसारिको दोषः स्वकृतं यत्र भुज्यते । गार्हस्थ्यं च प्रशंसंति वेदाः सर्वेऽपि नारद

Transliteration

atha saṃsāriko doṣaḥ svakṛtaṃ yatra bhujyate | gārhasthyaṃ ca praśaṃsaṃti vedāḥ sarve'pi nārada

Translation

บัดนี้ โทษแห่งชีวิตทางโลกคือ ในที่นั้นมนุษย์ย่อมต้องเสวยผลแห่งกรรมที่ตนกระทำเองโดยหลีกเลี่ยงมิได้ ถึงกระนั้น โอ้ นารทะ เวททั้งปวงก็ยังสรรเสริญอาศรมคฤหัสถ์

Word by Word

• अथ: now/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भसूचक/अनन्तरार्थक (particle: now/then)

• सांसारिकः: worldly
• सांसारिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसारिक (प्रातिपदिक; संसार + इक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• दोषः: fault
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• स्वकृतम्: one's own deed
• स्वकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकृत (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• भुज्यते: is experienced/enjoyed
• भुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (present, 3rd sg., passive)

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक; गृहस्थ + य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (neut. acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 3rd pl., active)

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. pl.)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (vocative sg.)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm teaching scene: a sage instructs Nārada on the inevitability of karma-phala and the Vedic praise of the householder’s path; background hints of a hermitage with household fire (gārhapatya) and guests being received.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly life carries the burden of karma—one must face one’s own deeds—yet the Purāṇic and Vedic tradition still upholds gṛhastha life as a legitimate and praiseworthy dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha or sthala is named in this verse; the focus is ethical teaching on karma and the praised status of the householder stage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it provides doctrinal guidance about karma-phala and gṛhastha-dharma.