Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

भक्तिप्रियाय देवाय ज्ञानज्ञानाव्ययाय च । महेशाय नमस्तुभ्यं महादेवहराय च

Transliteration

bhaktipriyāya devāya jñānajñānāvyayāya ca | maheśāya namastubhyaṃ mahādevaharāya ca

Translation

Verehrung dem göttlichen Herrn, der Bhakti liebt; dem Unvergänglichen, der zugleich Wissen und Wissender ist. O Maheśa, Verehrung Dir — Mahādeva, und auch Hara.

Word by Word

• भक्तिप्रियाय: to the one who loves devotion
• भक्तिप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्तिप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) = भक्ति + प्रिय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'devotedness-loving'

• देवाय: to the god
• देवाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञानज्ञानाव्ययाय: to the immutable (one), (who is) knowledge and (true) knowledge
• ज्ञानज्ञानाव्ययाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानज्ञानाव्यय (प्रातिपदिक) = ज्ञान + ज्ञान + अव्यय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्यय = 'immutable/unchanging' (as epithet)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महेशाय: to Maheśa (the Great Lord)
• महेशाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + ईश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object of saluting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे निपातवत्; नमः-शब्दः (salutation)

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महादेवहराय: to Mahādeva Hara
• महादेवहराय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवहर (प्रातिपदिक) = महादेव + हर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हर = 'Śiva' (the Great God)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking Kedāra-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Śiva at Kedāra receives a devotee’s salutations; the imagery emphasizes tenderness toward bhakti and a luminous ‘knowledge’ aura—scriptural scrolls and meditation posture motifs subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Maheśa
• Mahādeva
• Hara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is not opposed to wisdom—Śiva is praised as both the goal of bhakti and the imperishable ground of true knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārnātha is the implied tīrtha context because the verse is embedded in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it supports devotional praise and remembrance (smaraṇa/japa) of Śiva’s names.