Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अस्ति चेदीश्वरः कश्चित्फलरूप्यस्य कर्म्मणः । कर्तारं भजते सोपि न ह्यकर्तुः प्रभुर्हिसः

Transliteration

asti cedīśvaraḥ kaścitphalarūpyasya karmmaṇaḥ | kartāraṃ bhajate sopi na hyakartuḥ prabhurhisaḥ

Translation

หากมีพระอีศวรผู้ประทานผลแห่งกรรม พระองค์ก็ยังอาศัยผู้กระทำกรรมอยู่; เพราะผู้ไม่กระทำ ย่อมมิใช่ผู้ที่พระองค์ทรงเป็นนายเหนือเขาในเรื่องนั้น

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• ईश्वरः: a lord/controller
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• कश्चित्: someone/any
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (someone)

• फलरूप्यस्य: of (a deed) having the form of fruit/result
• फलरूप्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल + रूप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; ‘फलरूपम्’ इति कर्मधारयार्थे (फलम् इव रूपम्/फलरूपम्) तत्पुरुष-समासप्रयोगः; विशेषणम्

• कर्मणः: of action/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• कर्तारम्: the doer/agent
• कर्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• भजते: attaches to/partakes of
• भजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• सः: he/that (lord)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• अकर्तुः: of a non-doer
• अकर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negated agent: non-doer)

• प्रभुः: master/lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; (प्रभुः इत्यस्य पुनर्निर्देशः)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Surenḍra) and Lokapālas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counsel scene: a sage-teacher (Bṛhaspati or narrator-voice) explaining karma and agency to a worried king of gods; the visual focus is on teaching gesture and attentive listening rather than action.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Lord)
• Karma
• Phala (result)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life requires responsible action; divine governance does not negate personal agency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-region framing (Kedārakhaṇḍa), though the verse teaches karma-dharma rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it presents a dharmic principle about action and its fruits.