Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

अन्येषां का कथा दूता येऽर्चयंति सदाशिवम् । भक्त्या परमया शंभुं रुद्रास्ते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

anyeṣāṃ kā kathā dūtā ye'rcayaṃti sadāśivam | bhaktyā paramayā śaṃbhuṃ rudrāste nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Was braucht man noch von anderen zu sprechen, o Boten? Die Sadāśiva—Śambhu—mit höchster Hingabe verehren, die sind Rudras; daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Reference/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• kā: what?
• kā: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• kathā: talk, mention
• kathā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dūtāḥ: O messengers
• dūtāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे/सम्बोधन-प्रायः (O messengers)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• arcayanti: worship
• arcayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• sadāśivam: Sadāśiva
• sadāśivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadāśiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सदा शिवः)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• paramayā: supreme
• paramayā: Karaṇa (Instrument-qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (bhaktyā)

• śaṃbhum: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• rudrāḥ: Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

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

Speaker

Yama/Kāla addressing his dūtas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dūtas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Messengers are told: those who worship Sadāśiva with supreme devotion are themselves Rudras; depict devotees radiating Rudra-like aura around a liṅga in a Himalayan shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Śambhu
• Rudra
• Dūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme devotion to Sadāśiva elevates the devotee’s status—seen as sharing Rudra’s nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa provides the sacred setting (Kedāra region), though this verse praises devotion rather than a single spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Sadāśiva/Śambhu with parama-bhakti is endorsed.