Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 199

Devanagari script

नातः परं पुण्यतमं किंचिदस्ति महाफलम् । सर्ववेदरहस्यं च सूर्येणोक्तमिदं मम

Transliteration

nātaḥ paraṃ puṇyatamaṃ kiṃcidasti mahāphalam | sarvavedarahasyaṃ ca sūryeṇoktamidaṃ mama

Translation

Nichts ist verdienstvoller als dies, und nichts trägt größere Frucht. Dies ist die geheime Essenz aller Veden, die Sūrya mir verkündet hat.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• ataḥ: than this / from this
• ataḥ: Apadana/Comparison point (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक/तुलनाबिन्दु (from this/than this)

• param: higher, beyond
• param: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण

• puṇyatamam: most meritorious
• puṇyatamam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + tamaP (तमतम-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (something/anything)

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahāphalam: great result
• mahāphalam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण-कर्मधारय (great + fruit/result)

• sarvavedarahasyam: the secret of all the Vedas
• sarvavedarahasyam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक) + rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (of all Vedas: secret)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sūryeṇa: by Sūrya
• sūryeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• uktam: said/spoken
• uktam: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (said)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); internal reference indicates a teaching received from Sūrya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Sūrya instructs the narrator in a radiant chariot-like aura; the Śatarudrīya is shown as a glowing manuscript/śruti stream, symbolizing ‘sarvaveda-rahasya’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Vedas
• Śatarudrīya (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śatarudrīya-centered Śiva devotion is portrayed as Veda-sāra (the essence of the Vedas) and a supreme source of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies the teaching and its spiritual potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a detailed ritual; it elevates the practice (Śatarudrīya recitation) as supremely meritorious.