Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

किं तैः कर्मगणैः शोच्यैर्नानाभावविशेषितैः । यदि पञ्चाननः श्रीमान् सेव्यते सर्वथा शिवः

Transliteration

kiṃ taiḥ karmagaṇaiḥ śocyairnānābhāvaviśeṣitaiḥ | yadi pañcānanaḥ śrīmān sevyate sarvathā śivaḥ

Translation

Wozu taugen jene beklagenswerten Haufen von Riten und Handlungen, durch unzählige Absichten vielfältig unterschieden, wenn der glorreiche Śiva Pañcānana von Herzen auf jede Weise verehrt wird?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• तैः: by/with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्मगणैः: with groups of rites/actions
• कर्मगणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शोच्यैः: lamentable/pitiable
• शोच्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोच्य (प्रातिपदिक; √शुच्/शोच् से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) कर्मगणैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• नानाभावविशेषितैः: distinguished by various states/varieties
• नानाभावविशेषितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + भाव + विशेषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) कर्मगणैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पञ्चाननः: the five-faced one
• पञ्चाननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीमान्: glorious/auspicious
• श्रीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) पञ्चाननः/शिवः इति

• सेव्यते: is served/worshipped
• सेव्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वथा: in every way/always
• सर्वथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on the Narmadā ghāṭ turns away from piles of ritual paraphernalia and instead offers a simple bilva leaf with folded hands to a five-faced Śiva liṅga/icon; the mood is resolute and uncluttered.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcānana (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wholehearted service to Śiva surpasses scattered, motive-driven ritual actions and leads toward spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching within the sacred Revā/Narmadā region, emphasizing devotion at the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse prioritizes sarvathā-sevā (complete devotion/service) to Pañcānana Śiva over numerous ritual karmas.