Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

परेषां क्लेशदं कर्म न कार्यं तत्कदाचन । परमेष्ठिन्परेषां यदात्मनस्तद्भविष्यति

Transliteration

pareṣāṃ kleśadaṃ karma na kāryaṃ tatkadācana | parameṣṭhinpareṣāṃ yadātmanastadbhaviṣyati

Translation

جو عمل دوسروں کو دکھ دے، وہ کبھی نہ کرنا چاہیے۔ اے پرمیشٹھن! جو کچھ آدمی دوسروں کے ساتھ کرتا ہے، وہی اپنے لیے بن جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• क्लेशदम्: giving trouble/pain-causing
• क्लेशदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म-धारक-विशेषणम् (accusative singular; adjective of karma)

• कर्म: an act/deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular; here subject of injunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Pradhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण कृदन्तः (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तव्यता (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuyogin (Correlative/अनुयोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular; demonstrative)

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• कदाचन: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

• परमेष्ठिन्: O Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• परेषाम्: of others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Pratiyogin (Relative/प्रतियोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; Nom./Acc. singular)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Gen./Abl. singular; here genitive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuyogin (Correlative/अनुयोगिन्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative; nominative singular)

• भविष्यति: will happen/come to be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Śiva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic proclamation to Brahmā: the moral law of non-harm and karmic mirroring, delivered in a calm but authoritative tone amid the tension of the yajña aftermath.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma forbids causing distress; karma mirrors one’s conduct—what is done to others returns to oneself.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is a universal dharma-teaching within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical injunction aligned with ahiṃsā and right conduct.