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

“一切行为皆无知无觉；若无自在主（Īśvara），便不结其果。至于你在那里所言，诚然，我将以譬喻作答。”

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.