Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आत्मनैव कृतं कर्म स्वयमेवोपभुज्यते । शुभं वा यदि वा पापं भोक्तारोन्यजनाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

ātmanaiva kṛtaṃ karma svayamevopabhujyate | śubhaṃ vā yadi vā pāpaṃ bhoktāronyajanāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

“جو عمل آدمی خود کرتا ہے، اس کا پھل وہ خود ہی بھگتتا ہے—چاہے نیکی ہو یا گناہ؛ دوسرے لوگ اس کے نتیجے کے بھوگنے والے نہیں سمجھے جاتے۔”

Word by Word

• आत्मना: by oneself
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular

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

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle, neuter singular (qualifying कर्म)

• कर्म: deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Karta-nirdesha (Agent specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — adverb

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

• उपभुज्यते: is experienced/enjoyed
• उपभुज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present, 3rd person singular, middle/passive sense ‘is enjoyed/experienced’

• शुभम्: good (result/deed)
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — disjunctive particle

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — conditional particle

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — disjunctive particle

• पापम्: sin/evil (result)
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• भोक्तारः: enjoyers/experiencers
• भोक्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (तृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — agent noun, masculine nominative plural

• अन्यजनाः: other people
• अन्यजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural; कर्मधारयः (अन्ये जनाः)

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — past passive participle ‘are considered/remembered’

Speaker

Father

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: putra (son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: father as teacher, son as student; the air feels still, as if a moral law has been pronounced; symbolic imagery could include a balance scale or a wheel (cakra) of karma subtly in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma is inescapably individual: one reaps exactly what one sows, whether merit or sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a universal dharma teaching within a Mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about karmic fruition.