Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तेन कर्मविपाकेन उत्तमं स्वर्गमागता । भुक्त्वा स्वर्गसुखं चोग्रं पुनः संसारमागता

Transliteration

tena karmavipākena uttamaṃ svargamāgatā | bhuktvā svargasukhaṃ cograṃ punaḥ saṃsāramāgatā

Translation

ด้วยวิบากแห่งกรรมนั้น นางได้บรรลุสวรรค์อันประเสริฐ ครั้นเสวยสุขสวรรค์อันแรงกล้าแล้ว ก็กลับคืนสู่สังสารวัฏอีกครั้ง

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of (one's) karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: best, excellent
• उत्तमम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; स्वर्गम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आगताः: (she) went/arrived
• आगताः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन/एकवचन-प्रयोगः सन्दिग्धः; स्त्री-कर्तरि ‘आगता’ अपेक्षितम् (here: āgatā in IAST)

• भुक्त्वा: having enjoyed
• भुक्त्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकर्म-क्रिया (having done earlier action)

• स्वर्गसुखम्: the happiness of heaven
• स्वर्गसुखम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (heaven's happiness), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उग्रम्: intense, strong
• उग्रम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्वर्गसुखम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• संसारम्: worldly existence, saṃsāra
• संसारम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आगताः: (she) returned/came
• आगताः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन/एकवचन-प्रयोगः सन्दिग्धः; स्त्री-कर्तरि ‘आगता’ अपेक्षितम् (here: āgatā)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience within the khāṇḍa’s dialogue frame (unspecified in given verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic, contemplative tableau: the soul ascending to a radiant svarga, enjoying opulent pleasures, then descending again toward the human realm—emphasizing the cyclical wheel of saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• karma-vipāka
• svarga
• saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit can grant heaven, yet heaven is temporary; without liberation, one returns to saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred sphere, where even minor service yields extraordinary karmic results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse explains karmic fruition (karma-vipāka) of temple service.