Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

जडानि सर्वकर्माणि न फलंतीश्वरं विना । यदुक्तं भवता तत्राप्यहो दृष्टांतयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

jaḍāni sarvakarmāṇi na phalaṃtīśvaraṃ vinā | yaduktaṃ bhavatā tatrāpyaho dṛṣṭāṃtayāmyaham

Translation

تمام اعمال بے جان ہیں؛ اِیشور کے بغیر وہ پھل نہیں دیتے۔ اور جو بات آپ نے وہاں کہی—ہاں، میں اس کا جواب ایک مثال سے دوں گا۔

Word by Word

• जडानि: inert, insentient
• जडानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वकर्माणि: all actions/rites
• सर्वकर्माणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि कर्माणि)

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

• फलन्ति: bear fruit, yield results
• फलन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: फल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: 'without')

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• भवता: by you (hon.)
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there, in that regard
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there/in that matter')

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अहो: indeed!, alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection)

• दृष्टान्तम्: example, illustration
• दृष्टान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• यामि: I go/bring forth (i.e., I will present)
• यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Dadhīci (deduced: he offers the illustrative rebuttal)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / in-story interlocutor (unspecified in given verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic exchange in Kāśī: a teacher pauses to introduce an illustrative example about karma and Īśvara, with the sacred city’s ghāṭs and temples implied as the spiritual backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Dadhīci (implied)
• Dakṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual and action are not self-sufficient; the Lord’s governance is essential for results to manifest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tirtha is named; it supports the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s Śaiva claim that Śiva underwrites dharma and fruition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it frames a principle about karma and divine causality.