Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यूयं सर्वे त्वधर्मिष्ठाः स्तब्धाः पंडितमानिनः । कार्याकार्यमविज्ञाय केवलं मानमोहिताः

Transliteration

yūyaṃ sarve tvadharmiṣṭhāḥ stabdhāḥ paṃḍitamāninaḥ | kāryākāryamavijñāya kevalaṃ mānamohitāḥ

Translation

تم سب ادھرم میں ڈوبے ہوئے ہو—غرور سے اکڑے، اپنے آپ کو پنڈت سمجھنے والے۔ کیا کرنا چاہیے اور کیا نہیں، یہ جانے بغیر محض خودپسندی کے فریب میں مبتلا ہو۔

Word by Word

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Apposition (to यूयम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विशेषार्थक

• अधर्मिष्ठाः: most unrighteous
• अधर्मिष्ठाः: Predicate adjective (of यूयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्मिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तद्धित—इष्ठ (superlative sense)

• स्तब्धाः: arrogant/obstinate
• स्तब्धाः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पण्डितमानिनः: thinking themselves learned
• पण्डितमानिनः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक) + मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (पण्डित इति मानिनः = those who think themselves learned)

• कार्याकार्यम्: what should and should not be done
• कार्याकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कार्यं च अकार्यं च)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing
• अविज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); नञर्थे ‘अविज्ञाय’ = not knowing/without understanding

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Manner adjunct
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); ‘only/merely’

• मानमोहिताः: deluded by pride
• मानमोहिताः: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक) + मोहित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (मानेन मोहिताः)

Speaker

Unknown (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a rebuking deity/sage within the Kedāra context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (Indra and others) and implied human audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine admonisher points out the gods’ hypocrisy: proud, self-styled scholars lacking discernment of right and wrong; the scene is an assembly with downcast faces and a stern teacher-like presence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride that masquerades as learning blinds one to dharma; discernment of right and wrong action is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa), though this verse itself is a moral rebuke rather than direct site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is ethical discernment (kārya–akārya-viveka).