Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

किं कुलेन किमाचारैः किंशीलेन गुणेन वा । भक्तिलेशयुतः शंभोः स वंद्यः सर्वदेहिनाम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kulena kimācāraiḥ kiṃśīlena guṇena vā | bhaktileśayutaḥ śaṃbhoḥ sa vaṃdyaḥ sarvadehinām

Translation

Was gilt die Herkunft, was gelten äußere Bräuche, was gelten Wesen, Tugend oder Verdienst? Wer auch nur ein Körnchen Hingabe an Śambhu besitzt, ist von allen verkörperten Wesen zu verehren.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम (here: ‘what (use)?’)

• कुलेन: with lineage; by family
• कुलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक

• आचारैः: with practices; by conduct
• आचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक

• शीलेन: with character; by disposition
• शीलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• गुणेन: with merit/quality
• गुणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Option (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्ययम् (or)

• भक्तिलेशयुतः: having even a trace of devotion
• भक्तिलेशयुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + लेश + युत (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः (bhakti-leśa-yuta = possessing even a little devotion)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वन्द्यः: worthy of reverence
• वन्द्यः: Predicate (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द्य (कृदन्त; √वन्द् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be saluted’), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (all embodied beings)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Brāhma/Brahmottara narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble devotee with simple clothing but radiant aura receives reverence from kings, scholars, and ascetics; above, Śambhu’s symbol (liṅga/triśūla) indicates the source of worthiness; scrolls and family emblems lie discarded to the side.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minimal genuine devotion to Śiva makes a person spiritually venerable beyond social measures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse provides the devotional principle underpinning tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it prioritizes inner devotion (bhakti) as the core qualification.