Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

केवलं कर्म चाश्रित्य निरीश्वरपरा जनाः । निरयं ते च गच्छंति कोटियज्ञशतैरपि

Transliteration

kevalaṃ karma cāśritya nirīśvaraparā janāḥ | nirayaṃ te ca gacchaṃti koṭiyajñaśatairapi

Translation

ผู้ใดอาศัยแต่พิธีกรรมแห่งกรรม และยึดถือทัศนะไร้พระเป็นเจ้า ผู้นั้นย่อมตกสู่นรก แม้จะประกอบยัญญะนับร้อยนับล้านก็ตาม

Word by Word

• केवलम्: mere; only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter acc sg; qualifying कर्म)

• कर्म: action; ritual
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• आश्रित्य: having relied on; resorting to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having resorted to)

• निरीश्वरपराः: devoted to godlessness; oriented away from the Lord
• निरीश्वरपराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि: (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc nom pl; qualifying जनाः)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc nom pl)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc acc sg)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (pronoun: nom pl)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• गच्छन्ति: go
• गच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present, 3rd pl)

• कोटियज्ञशतैः: by hundreds of crores of sacrifices
• कोटियज्ञशतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental pl; 'even by hundreds of crores of sacrifices')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (even; also)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (Mahēśvara Khaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacrificial arena with countless altars fades into a dark, smoky abyss symbolizing naraka; a lone Śiva-liṅga shines at the edge, ignored by ritualists.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action alone, when divorced from reverence for Īśvara, does not lead to liberation and can even bind one to lower destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kedāra Khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra/Kedarnath sacred geography), though this specific line teaches doctrine rather than describing a particular spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña (sacrifice) is referenced as insufficient by itself; the implied prescription is Īśvara-śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in the Lord) alongside dharmic action.