Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

किं त्वेतत्सफलं राजन्नाचारयो न लंघयेत् । आचारात्फलते धर्मो ह्याचारात्स्वर्गमश्नुते

Transliteration

kiṃ tvetatsaphalaṃ rājannācārayo na laṃghayet | ācārātphalate dharmo hyācārātsvargamaśnute

Translation

แต่เพื่อให้สิ่งนี้บังเกิดผล โอ้พระราชา อย่าล่วงละเมิดอาจาระ (ความประพฤติอันถูกต้อง) เพราะธรรมย่อมให้ผลด้วยอาจาระ และแท้จริงด้วยอาจาระย่อมบรรลุสวรรค์

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• तु: but; however
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/however)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• सफलम्: fruitful; effective
• सफलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सहितं फलेन’/‘फलवत्’

• एतत्सफलम्: this is fruitful
• एतत्सफलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• आचारयः: good practices; codes of conduct
• आचारयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• लंघयेत्: should transgress
• लंघयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आचारात्: from conduct; due to conduct
• आचारात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (हेतु/अपादानार्थे)

• फलते: bears fruit; succeeds
• फलते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: फल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्मः: dharma; righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; कारण/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/for)

• आचारात्: from conduct
• आचारात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (हेतु/अपादानार्थे)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अश्नुते: attains; reaches
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; addressing 'rājan' indicates a royal listener in this discourse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addresses a king, gesturing toward a path labeled ‘ācāra’ leading upward to svarga; below, ritual implements appear secondary, indicating that conduct is the true support of dharma’s fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Svarga
• Sadācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual and devotion yield results only when rooted in ethical discipline; conduct is presented as the engine of dharma’s fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a general dharma teaching on ācāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: do not violate ācāra (normative right conduct) if one seeks the fruits of worship.