Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

निर्मला निरहंकारा ये जनाः पर्युपासते । मृडं ज्ञानप्रदं चेशं परेशं शंभुमेव च

Transliteration

nirmalā nirahaṃkārā ye janāḥ paryupāsate | mṛḍaṃ jñānapradaṃ ceśaṃ pareśaṃ śaṃbhumeva ca

Translation

أمّا الذين هم أطهارٌ منزّهون عن الأنا، فيعبدون بتفانٍ مِرْدَ—شِيفا، واهبَ المعرفة الروحية—الربَّ، الربَّ الأعلى، شَمبهو نفسه.

Word by Word

• निर्मलाः: pure
• निर्मलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निरहंकाराः: free from ego
• निरहंकाराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निः-पूर्वक (without ego)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पर्युपासते: worship; attend upon
• पर्युपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + उप + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मृडम्: Mṛḍa (Śiva)
• मृडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञानप्रदम्: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञानप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानं प्रददाति इति/ज्ञानप्रदः)

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

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परेशम्: Lord of all; Supreme Lord
• परेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पराणाम् ईशः)

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/only)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style; immediate speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small group of simple, radiant devotees—unadorned and humble—offer water and bilva leaves to Śiva (Mṛḍa/Śambhu), while a subtle aura of knowledge-light emanates from the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛḍa
• Īśa
• Pareśa
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is approached most truly through inner purity and egolessness; such devotion leads to spiritual knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedāra in the Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra-Māhātmya), though this verse specifically praises Śiva rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is specified; the emphasis is on the inner discipline of purity and humility in worship.