Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

महाकाल उवाच । प्रातर्मध्याह्नसायाह्ने शंकरं सर्वदा भजेत् । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनान्मर्त्यः कृततृत्यो भवेत्स्फुटम्

Transliteration

mahākāla uvāca | prātarmadhyāhnasāyāhne śaṃkaraṃ sarvadā bhajet | darśanātsparśanānmartyaḥ kṛtatṛtyo bhavetsphuṭam

Translation

Mahākāla sprach: „Am Morgen, zur Mittagszeit und am Abend soll man stets Śaṅkara verehren. Durch sein Schauen und durch das Berühren (des Liṅga, des heiligen Zeichens) wird der Sterbliche offenbar zu einem, der seine Pflicht erfüllt hat.“

Word by Word

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + कालः (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मध्याह्न: at midday
• मध्याह्न: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (समाहारार्थे/कालवाचक)

• सायाह्ने: in the evening
• सायाह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• भजेत्: should worship/serve
• भजेत्: Kriya (Injunction/विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• कृततृत्यः: one who has fulfilled his duty/aim
• कृततृत्यः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-तृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—कृता तृतिः यस्य (तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Result/फल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्फुटम्: clearly/indeed
• स्फुटम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुटम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Mahākāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla/Śaṅkara-sthāna (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee approaches a Śiva temple at dawn, noon, and dusk; the liṅga is adorned, lamps flare at sandhyā; the devotee performs darśana and reverent touch, attaining serene fulfillment.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Śaṅkara
• darśana
• sparśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, disciplined devotion to Śiva—anchored in darśana and reverent contact—brings inner completeness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; Mahākāla speaks as a Śaiva authority within the Māheśvara-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Śaṅkara three times daily (morning, midday, evening), emphasizing darśana (seeing) and sparśana (reverent touching).