Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्माद्भाव्या शिवे भक्तिः सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् । पशवोऽपि हि पूज्याः स्युः किं पुनर्मानवाभुवि

Transliteration

tasmādbhāvyā śive bhaktiḥ sarveṣāmapi dehinām | paśavo'pi hi pūjyāḥ syuḥ kiṃ punarmānavābhuvi

Translation

فلذلك ينبغي لجميع ذوي الأجساد أن يُنمّوا البهاكتي، أي المحبة التعبدية، لشيفا. فإذا كانت الحيوانات نفسها، لاتصالها بشيفا، تصير جديرة بالتبجيل، فكم بالحري البشر على ظهر الأرض!

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense) "therefore/from that"

• भाव्या: to be done/should be (to be cultivated)
• भाव्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of भक्ति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → भाव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• शिवे: in/for Śiva
• शिवे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपेण (subject)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (even/also)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (indeed/for)

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier of पशवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• स्युः: may be/should be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-प्रयोगः (interrogative particle)

• पुनः: then; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थे/अधिक्ये (again/more so)

• मानवाभुवि: on the human earth/in the world of humans
• मानवाभुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक) + भुवि/भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि = loc. of भू/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (भूमि), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मानवानां भुवि)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan Kedāra landscape with pilgrims offering bilva leaves to a liṅga; animals (a bull, deer, birds) calmly present, suggesting sanctity extending to all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• dehin (embodied beings)
• paśu (animals)
• mānava (humans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti to Śiva is universally accessible and elevating; it ennobles all beings and especially calls humans to higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra glorification, presenting the universal reach of Śiva’s sanctity within that pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription is given: cultivate devotion to Śiva (śiva-bhakti), without specifying a particular rite.