Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

एतद्रहस्यमिदमेव नृणां प्रधानं कर्तव्यमत्र शिवपूजनमेव भूप । यस्यांतरायपदवीमुपयांति लोकाः सद्योः नरः शिवनतः शिवमेव सत्यम्

Transliteration

etadrahasyamidameva nṛṇāṃ pradhānaṃ kartavyamatra śivapūjanameva bhūpa | yasyāṃtarāyapadavīmupayāṃti lokāḥ sadyoḥ naraḥ śivanataḥ śivameva satyam

Translation

হে ভূপ! এইয়েই নৰলোকৰ গোপন ৰহস্য আৰু মুখ্য কৰ্তব্য—ইয়াত কেৱল শিৱপূজন। লোকসকল বাধাৰ পথত পৰে, তথাপি যি শিৱক নমে সি তৎক্ষণাৎ শিৱকেই লাভ কৰে; শিৱেই সত্য।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — demonstrative qualifying रहस्यम्

• रहस्यम्: secret, esoteric teaching
• रहस्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — subject/complement

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — appositional demonstrative

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• नृणाम्: of people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — 'of men'

• प्रधानम्: chief, foremost
• प्रधानम्: Kriya (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — predicate adjective to रहस्यम्

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'to be done/should be done'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शिवपूजनम्: worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजनम्: Karta (Subject/what is to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — apposition to कर्तव्यम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'worship of Śiva'

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — address

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — 'of whom/whose'

• अन्तरायपदवीम्: the path of obstruction
• अन्तरायपदवीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तराय (प्रातिपदिक) + पदवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — object of upayānti; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'path/track of obstacle'

• उपयान्ति: reach/encounter
• उपयान्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 'approach/attain' (उपसर्ग उप-)

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — subject

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time) — 'immediately'

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — subject (generic singular)

• शिवनतः: one who bows to Śiva
• शिवनतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नत (प्रातिपदिक; from √नम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — adjective to नरः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'bowed to Śiva'

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — object (attains Śiva/auspiciousness)

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

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Kriya (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — predicate adjective ('true')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (king) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is instructed that Śiva-worship alone is the secret duty; around him, people struggle on a thorny path of obstacles, while one devotee bows to Śiva and is shown merging into Śiva’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhūpa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ‘rahasya’ is that Śiva-pūjā is the highest human duty; surrender to Śiva cuts through obstacles and grants swift spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a universal mahātmya of Śiva-worship itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjana (worship) and śiva-namaskāra (bowing to Śiva) are prescribed as the central practices.