Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अणुस्ते करुणापात्रं महत्त्वं ध्रुवमश्नुते । नाधिकोऽस्ति परस्त्वत्तो न मत्तोऽपि तदाश्रयात्

Transliteration

aṇuste karuṇāpātraṃ mahattvaṃ dhruvamaśnute | nādhiko'sti parastvatto na matto'pi tadāśrayāt

Translation

Selbst der Geringe erlangt gewiss Größe, wenn er zum Gefäß Deines Erbarmens wird. Niemand ist höher als Du; und auch ich werde durch Zuflucht zu Jenem nicht höher.

Word by Word

• aṇuḥ: a small being; an atom-like (one)
• aṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• karuṇā-pātram: a vessel of compassion
• karuṇā-pātram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास (तत्पुरुष: करुणायाः पात्रम्)

• mahattvam: greatness
• mahattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dhruvam: surely; certainly
• dhruvam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण)

• aśnute: attains; obtains
• aśnute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (अश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• adhikaḥ: greater; superior
• adhikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• asti: is; exists
• asti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• paraḥ: higher; beyond
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tvattaḥ: than you; from you
• tvattaḥ: Apādāna (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• mattaḥ: than me; from me
• mattaḥ: Apādāna (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also)

• tat-āśrayāt: because of that dependence; by taking refuge in that
• tat-āśrayāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समास (तत्पुरुष: तस्य आश्रयः/आश्रयणम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble devotee (small/poor/lowly) kneels before Arunachaleshvara; a stream of compassionate light descends, lifting the devotee into a radiant stature; nearby, even a celestial figure bows, indicating none surpass Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s compassion elevates the lowly; spiritual greatness comes from grace and refuge, not status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Arunachala Mahatmya, reinforcing the mountain’s fame as a place where grace is accessible to devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is mentioned; the ‘prescription’ is taking refuge in Śiva and becoming fit for His compassion.