Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

हरभक्तस्य लोकस्य त्रिलोक्यां नास्ति दुर्लभम् । बहिःप्रवृत्तिं सगृह्य ज्ञानकर्मेन्द्रियादि च

Transliteration

harabhaktasya lokasya trilokyāṃ nāsti durlabham | bahiḥpravṛttiṃ sagṛhya jñānakarmendriyādi ca

Translation

Für die Menschen, die Hara (Śiva) ergeben sind, ist in den drei Welten nichts schwer zu erlangen. Doch wenn man äußeres Tun—samt den Sinnen des Erkennens und des Handelns und dem Übrigen—aufnimmt, soll man ihren rechten Platz in der geistlichen Zucht verstehen.

Word by Word

• हरभक्तस्य: of a devotee of Hara
• हरभक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): हरेः भक्तः

• लोकस्य: of the people/world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• त्रिलोक्याम्: in the three worlds
• त्रिलोक्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु: त्रयः लोकाः यस्याम् (त्रिलोक्यां)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधबोधक-अव्यय (negation)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/उपपद: दुष्टं/दुर्लभं लभ्यते (hard-to-obtain); विधेय-विशेषण

• बहिःप्रवृत्तिम्: outward activity
• बहिःप्रवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय) + प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभाव: बहिः प्रवृत्तिः

• सगृह्य: having restrained/collected
• सगृह्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्ग: सम्; रूपम्: संगृह्य

• ज्ञानकर्मेन्द्रियादि: the sense-faculties etc. (of knowledge and action)
• ज्ञानकर्मेन्द्रियादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + कर्मेन्द्रिय + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समाहार/आदि-समास): ज्ञान-इन्द्रियाणि कर्म-इन्द्रियाणि च आदयः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator/teacher

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hara-bhakta audience; king implied from prior verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śaiva teacher addresses devotees: on one side, symbols of ‘triloka-siddhi’ (heavenly, earthly, nether realms); on the other, a disciplined householder restrains senses—hands withdrawing from temptations while holding a rudrākṣa mālā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Hara
• Triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-devotion grants extraordinary attainments, but spiritual maturity requires right handling of outward action and the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is specified; the verse is a general praise of Hara-bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; it points to disciplined engagement with action and the sense-faculties within a devotional life.