Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

निर्वैरेण समेनाथ सुखदुःखभवाभवैः । ब्रह्मादिकीटपर्यन्तं किमेव क्लिश्यते जगत्

Transliteration

nirvaireṇa samenātha sukhaduḥkhabhavābhavaiḥ | brahmādikīṭaparyantaṃ kimeva kliśyate jagat

Translation

O Herr, Du bist ohne Feindschaft und allen gleich. Und doch: durch Lust und Schmerz, durch Geburt und Nichtgeburt—warum wird die Welt gequält, von Brahmā bis zum kleinsten Insekt?

Word by Word

• निर्वैरेण: with/by (one who is) without enmity
• निर्वैरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-वैर (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + वैर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular, masculine)

• समेन: equal/neutral
• समेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular, masculine)

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (8th) एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

• सुखदुःखभवाभवैः: with pleasure, pain, existence and non-existence
• सुखदुःखभवाभवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-दुःख-भव-अभव (प्रातिपदिक; सुख + दुःख + भव + अभव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural, neuter; copulative compound)

• ब्रह्मादिकीटपर्यन्तम्: up to Brahmā and down to insects
• ब्रह्मादिकीटपर्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-आदि-कीट-पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + आदि + कीट + पर्यन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभावार्थे सीमाबोधक-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (Accusative singular, neuter; 'up to')

• किम्: why?/what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्रयोगः (interrogative particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• क्लिश्यते: is tormented/suffers
• क्लिश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Present, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada; passive: 'is afflicted')

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, neuter)

Speaker

Nandabhadra (within Nārada’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic hierarchy of beings—Brahmā above, humans mid, insects below—linked by a single thread of suffering (pleasure/pain cycles), while the Lord stands serene and equal.

Characters & Entities

• Nātha (Śiva implied)
• Brahmā
• Kīṭa
• Sukha
• Duḥkha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is confronted as a universal condition, inviting deeper understanding of karma and grace through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implied setting is Kapileśvara at Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa; the verse itself discusses universal suffering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is part of a devotional inquiry (gāthā/stotra).