Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आचारैश्चापि धर्मैश्च न कार्यं मम किंचन । तस्माद्वक्ष्यामि नाप्येतन्न चाप्यस्मि समाचरे

Transliteration

ācāraiścāpi dharmaiśca na kāryaṃ mama kiṃcana | tasmādvakṣyāmi nāpyetanna cāpyasmi samācare

Translation

“至于世俗礼法与诸般法义（dharma）之行，我与之毫无相干。因此我直言：我既无此等资质，亦不修正当之行。”

Word by Word

• आचारैः: by/with practices, conduct
• आचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• धर्मैः: by/with duties, dharmas
• धर्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कार्यम्: to be done; obligation
• कार्यम्: Predicate (Vidhāna/विधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; कृ धातोः यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• मम: for me / of me
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• किंचन: anything at all
• किंचन: Predicate/Complement (Vidhāna/विधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्राय (ablatival adverbial: 'therefore/from that')

• वक्ष्यामि: I will speak
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Complement (Object/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

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

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• समाचरे: I practice/perform properly
• समाचरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

A certain man (nara)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kālabhīti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The man speaks defiantly yet hollowly, declaring he has nothing to do with customary conduct or religious duties; the other figure listens with rising disapproval.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Ācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores that lack of dharmic conduct affects the moral legitimacy of religious transactions like giving and receiving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied rule: those receiving offerings should consider the giver’s adherence to dharma and ācāra.