Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अहंकारवृतेनैव कर्मणा कारितावयम् । यूयं च सर्वे विबुधा मनुष्याश्च खगादयः

Transliteration

ahaṃkāravṛtenaiva karmaṇā kāritāvayam | yūyaṃ ca sarve vibudhā manuṣyāśca khagādayaḥ

Translation

صرف اَہنکار سے ڈھکے ہوئے کرم کے سبب ہم سے عمل کروایا جاتا ہے۔ اور تم سب بھی—دیوتا، انسان اور پرندے وغیرہ—اسی طرح عمل پر لگائے جاتے ہو۔

Word by Word

• अहंकार-वृतेन: by/with what is covered by ego
• अहंकार-वृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वृ/वृञ्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अहंकारेण वृतम्/आवृतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारिताः: caused/made (to act)
• कारिताः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कारित (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, causative sense: ‘made to do’); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विबुधाः: gods/wise beings
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• खग-आदयः: birds and others
• खग-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (खगाः आदयः येषां ते/खगादयः = ‘birds and others’); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic first-person voice explaining bondage through ahaṃkāra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of beings/pilgrims in Kedāra narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a divine teacher indicates a veil labeled ‘ahaṅkāra’ draped over a wheel of karma; around it stand devas, humans, and birds, all pulled by the same unseen thread, showing universality of bondage; Kedāra mountains and a distant liṅga shrine anchor the setting.

Characters & Entities

• Ahaṃkāra
• Karma
• Vibudhas
• Manuṣyas
• Khagas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego (ahaṃkāra) veils discernment and makes beings act under karmic compulsion; freedom requires loosening ego-identification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha; it functions as a universal teaching embedded in the Kedārakhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies sādhana that reduces ego and purifies karma.