Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

शिवात्परतरं नान्यत्त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते । शिवे भक्तिस्त्वया कार्या सप्रेमा वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

śivātparataraṃ nānyattriṣu lokeṣu vidyate | śive bhaktistvayā kāryā sapremā varavarṇini

Translation

In den drei Welten gibt es nichts Höheres als Śiva. Darum, o Schönste, sollst du liebende Bhakti zu Śiva pflegen.

Word by Word

• śivāt: than/from Śiva
• śivāt: Apādāna (Source/Comparison base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative, 5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• parataram: higher, superior
• parataram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paratara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनात्मक विशेषण (comparative adjective)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• triṣu: in the three
• triṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc./Neut.), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• lokeṣu: worlds
• lokeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vidyate: is found/exists
• vidyate: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• śive: in/for Śivā
• śive: Adhikaraṇa (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent, in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• kāryā: should be done
• kāryā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत् प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेयविशेषण (predicative), कर्मणि-भावः—'to be done' (gerundive)

• sa-premā: with love
• sa-premā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + premā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• vara-varṇini: O fair-complexioned one
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bhṛṅgi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛṅgī proclaims Śiva’s unsurpassed status; the composition centers a radiant liṅga or Śiva’s emblematic presence behind him, with Girijā listening—Himalayan austerity amplifying the proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛṅgi
• Śiva
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the highest reality within the Purāṇic frame; the proper response is loving devotion (sapremā bhakti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse is a universal Shaiva proclamation within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual; it prescribes cultivating bhakti toward Śiva.