Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

श्वपचोऽपि वरिष्ठः स्यात्प्रसादाच्छं करस्य च । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूजनीयो हि शंकरः

Transliteration

śvapaco'pi variṣṭhaḥ syātprasādācchaṃ karasya ca | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pūjanīyo hi śaṃkaraḥ

Translation

Selbst ein „Hundekocher“ (aus der niedrigsten Schicht) wird durch Śaṅkaras Gnade zum Vorzüglichsten. Darum soll Śaṅkara wahrlich mit aller Anstrengung verehrt werden.

Word by Word

• श्वपचः: a dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• वरिष्ठः: the best, most excellent
• वरिष्ठः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अतिशय-तुलनात्मक (superlative)

• स्यात्: would become/may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रसादात्: from (his) grace
• प्रसादात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध-हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: 'सर्वः प्रयत्नः' = all effort), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पूजनीयः: worthy to be worshipped
• पूजनीयः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + अनीयर् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य: 'to be worshipped'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), instructing the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: In-text audience seeking tīrtha-phala instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble outcaste devotee transformed by Śaṅkara’s grace—shown as radiant, honored, and spiritually elevated; Śiva’s compassionate presence dominates the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace, not social rank, determines spiritual greatness; hence worship of Śiva is paramount.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (context) as a Śaiva sacred landscape where grace is accessible to all.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Śaṅkara is explicitly urged: worship Śiva with full effort (sarva-prayatna).