Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

शिवस्याग्रे प्रकुर्वंति कारयन्त्यथ वा नराः । किं फलं च नृणां तेषां कथ्यतां विस्तरेण हि

Transliteration

śivasyāgre prakurvaṃti kārayantyatha vā narāḥ | kiṃ phalaṃ ca nṛṇāṃ teṣāṃ kathyatāṃ vistareṇa hi

Translation

Was immer Menschen vor Śiva darbringen—oder von anderen darbringen lassen—welche Frucht erlangen sie? Verkünde es wahrlich in ausführlicher Weise.

Word by Word

• śivasya: of Śiva
• śivasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• agre: in front; before (him)
• agre: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• prakurvanti: they do; they perform
• prakurvanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+√kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• kārayanti: they cause (it) to be done; they get (it) done
• kārayanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) (णिच् causative: kāray-)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• atha: then; or else; further
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/प्रसङ्गबोधक (then/and further)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• narāḥ: men; people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• nṛṇām: of men; of people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• teṣām: of those (persons)
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• kathyatām: let it be told
• kathyatām: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• vistareṇa: in detail; with elaboration
• vistareṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial instrumental)

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The sage-speaker

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the Kedāra liṅga, donors and priests are shown: some offer directly, others fund offerings and constructions; sages request a detailed account of the fruits for both doers and sponsors.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both personal worship and sponsoring sacred acts for Śiva are spiritually consequential; intention and offering generate merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kedārakhaṇḍa context aligns these acts with Kedāra’s Śiva-centered pilgrimage setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing offerings/rites before Śiva and also arranging (sponsoring) such rites to be done.