Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

उपाकरोषि जंतूनामेवंरूपा हि साधवः । किमतः प्रोच्यते तुभ्यं धन्यस्त्वं पृथिवीधर

Transliteration

upākaroṣi jaṃtūnāmevaṃrūpā hi sādhavaḥ | kimataḥ procyate tubhyaṃ dhanyastvaṃ pṛthivīdhara

Translation

Du leistest den Lebewesen Beistand — so ist wahrlich das Wesen der Tugendhaften. Was ließe sich dir noch sagen? Gesegnet bist du, o Berg, der die Erde trägt.

Word by Word

• उपाकरोषि: you do a service/help
• उपाकरोषि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• जन्तूनाम्: of creatures
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• एवंरूपाः: of such a nature
• एवंरूपाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवंरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—एवं + रूप (एवंविध-रूपाः)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• साधवः: good people/saints
• साधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अतः: therefore/from this
• अतः: Hetu/Adhikaraṇa (Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कारण/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from this)

• प्रोच्यते: is said/told
• प्रोच्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-रूपम्; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• धन्यः: fortunate/blessed
• धन्यः: Viśeṣya-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पृथिवीधर: O mountain (earth-bearer)
• पृथिवीधर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—पृथिवी + धर (धारयति इति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himālaya (as devagiri/kshetra-support)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable mountain personified as a steadfast guardian, receiving praise for sustaining creatures; sages or divine speakers gesture toward the vast snow-clad peaks as symbols of virtue and support.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The hallmark of sādhus is compassionate assistance to beings; such support is itself exalted dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a mountain as a dharmic refuge without naming a specific site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical-theological praise of compassion.