Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शिवभक्तियुतं शांतं केवलं ज्ञानसंयुतम् । यमोऽपि दृष्ट्वा राजानं परं क्षोभमुपागमत्

Transliteration

śivabhaktiyutaṃ śāṃtaṃ kevalaṃ jñānasaṃyutam | yamo'pi dṛṣṭvā rājānaṃ paraṃ kṣobhamupāgamat

Translation

Als er den König sah—von Hingabe an Śiva erfüllt, friedvoll und im reinen Wissen gegründet—geriet selbst Yama in tiefste Erschütterung.

Word by Word

• śiva-bhakti-yutam: endowed with devotion to Śiva
• śiva-bhakti-yutam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (यु धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवे भक्तिः; तया युतः)

• śāntam: calm
• śāntam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (शम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• kevalam: pure/sole
• kevalam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• jñāna-saṃyutam: endowed with knowledge
• jñāna-saṃyutam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (यु धातोः क्त, सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानेन संयुतः)

• yamaḥ: Yama
• yamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• rājānam: the king
• rājānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• param: great/utter
• param: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kṣobham: agitation
• kṣobham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• upāgamat: approached/underwent
• upāgamat: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣi-audience / tīrtha-śravaṇa listeners

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the king’s serene face and yogic posture; Yama’s expression shifts from wrath to inner agitation and astonishment, as if confronted by a radiance beyond his office.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Yama
• King (rājā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti joined with inner peace and true knowledge carries a spiritual force that even the lord of death must acknowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, implicitly shown as a field where bhakti and jñāna manifest exceptional power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the verse highlights bhakti and jñāna as the devotee’s qualifications.