Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

येन रुद्रायते भक्त्या कुरुते मार्जनक्रियाम् । तस्मान्मार्जयते त्वेवं स्थाणुनैतत्परस्परम्

Transliteration

yena rudrāyate bhaktyā kurute mārjanakriyām | tasmānmārjayate tvevaṃ sthāṇunaitatparasparam

Translation

بالتعبّد الذي به يصير العابد «كأنه رودرا» ويؤدّي فعل التطهير، بذلك التعبّد عينه يُرى أن الربّ الثابت سْثانو (غير المتحرّك) قد طُهِّر؛ غير أنّ الحقيقة أنّه ليس تطهيرًا متبادلاً على المعنى الحرفي.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental: by which/with which)

• रुद्रायते: becomes (like) Rudra
• रुद्रायते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद्राय (धातु/नामधातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; नामधातु ‘रुद्रायते’ = ‘acts as/behaves like Rudra’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मार्जनक्रियाम्: the act of cleaning
• मार्जनक्रियाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मार्जनस्य क्रिया)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (ablative: from that/therefore)

• मार्जयते: cleans
• मार्जयते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; causative/denominative usage ‘to clean’ (मार्जयते)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषणार्थक (but/indeed)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• स्थाणुना: by/with Śthāṇu (Śiva)
• स्थाणुना: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परस्परक्रियावाचक (mutually/each other)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest gently wipes and cleans the liṅga pedestal and sanctum floor; a subtle visual metaphor shows the devotee’s aura brightening, while Śiva as Sthāṇu remains serene and unchanged—indicating figurative ‘cleansing’.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śiva
• Sthāṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service done in bhakti transforms the devotee; Śiva is ever-pure, so the ‘cleansing’ is symbolic of the devotee’s purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the teaching applies broadly to Śaiva temple service.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform mārjana (ritual cleaning) with Rudra-bhakti—devotional identification with Rudra—understanding its inner meaning.