Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 171
Devanagari script
यत्रापि कुर्वतो नात्मा जुगुप्सामेति पार्थिव । तत्कर्तव्यसमसंगेन यन्नगोप्यं महाजने
Transliteration
yatrāpi kurvato nātmā jugupsāmeti pārthiva | tatkartavyasamasaṃgena yannagopyaṃ mahājane
Translation
大王啊，凡你所行之事，若不令自心生厌恶退缩——便当行之，并与正当之法相应；且当行那无需向众人隐匿之事。
Word by Word
yatrawhere
yatra:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyatra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) — locative sense “where”
apialso/even
api:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) — emphatic/also
kurvataḥof (one) doing
kurvataḥ:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (कृ धातु)
Formवर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); षष्ठी/सम्बन्धे एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (contextually gen. sg.) — “of (one) doing”
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निषेध-निपात)
ātmāthe self/mind
ātmā:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचनम्
jugupsāmdisgust/repugnance
jugupsām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootjugupsā (जुगुप्सा प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचनम्
etigoes/comes to
eti:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rooti (इ धातु)
Formलट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
pārthivaO king
pārthiva:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootpārthiva (पार्थिव प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचनम्
tatthat
tat:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनम् — demonstrative “that” (qualifying next)
kartavya-samasaṅgenaby connection with duty/what should be done
kartavya-samasaṅgena:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkartavya (कृ धातु + तव्यत्) + sama-saṅga (सम + सङ्ग प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समासङ्गः = “association/connection”; कर्तव्यस्य समासङ्गः = “connection with what ought to be done”)
yatwhich (that which)
yat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनम् — relative pronoun “which/that which”
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निषेध-निपात)
gopyamto be hidden/secret
gopyam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootgopya (गोप्य प्रातिपदिक; √gup ‘to conceal’ से)
Formकृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय/भाव्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचनम् — “to be concealed”
mahājaneamong the public/among great people
mahājane:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā-jana (महान् + जन प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (महाजनः = “great people/public”)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Pārthiva (king)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A didactic moment: a revered speaker instructs a king on ethical action—conscience as witness, and deeds fit to be done openly among the virtuous.
Characters & Entities
P
Pārthiva (King)FAQs
Dharma aligns with a clean conscience and transparent conduct that can stand before society.
No tīrtha is mentioned; it is an ethical guideline.
None explicitly; it prescribes a standard for choosing actions—those not shameful and not requiring secrecy.