Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आढ्यो वापि दरिद्रो वा उत्तमो ह्यधमोऽपि वा । शिवभक्तिरतो नित्यं शिव एव न संशयः

Transliteration

āḍhyo vāpi daridro vā uttamo hyadhamo'pi vā | śivabhaktirato nityaṃ śiva eva na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ob reich oder arm, ob edel oder gering—wer stets in Śiva-bhakti verweilt, der ist wahrlich Śiva selbst; daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• āḍhyaḥ: rich
• āḍhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• daridraḥ: poor
• daridraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• uttamaḥ: excellent/high
• uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• adhamaḥ: low/base
• adhamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• śiva-bhakti-rataḥ: devoted to devotion to Śiva
• śiva-bhakti-rataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (शिवे भक्तिः; तस्यां रतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषण

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: no/not
• na: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rich patron and a poor pilgrim stand side by side offering bilva and water to a Śiva-linga; Śiva’s light equally blesses both; attendants and priests show equal reverence; inscription-like emphasis: ‘Śivabhaktaḥ śiva eva’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Social status is irrelevant; unwavering devotion to Śiva is the true mark of spiritual greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Set within Kedārakhaṇḍa, it supports Kedāra’s Śaiva ethos, though the teaching is broadly applicable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is continuous Śiva-bhakti (regular devotion), rather than a single external rite.