Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

शिवसेवां प्रकुर्वाणाः शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृताः । ये नराश्चैव नार्य्यश्च शिवलोकं व्रजंति वै

Transliteration

śivasevāṃ prakurvāṇāḥ śivabhaktipuraskṛtāḥ | ye narāścaiva nāryyaśca śivalokaṃ vrajaṃti vai

Translation

Männer und Frauen, die Śiva dienen und die Śiva-Bhakti an die Spitze stellen, gelangen wahrlich in Śivas Welt.

Word by Word

• शिवसेवाम्: service of Śiva
• शिवसेवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ("शिवस्य सेवा")

• प्रकुर्वाणाः: doing, performing
• प्रकुर्वाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (doing)

• शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृताः: led by devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिवभक्ति + पुरस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थ ("भक्त्या पुरस्कृताः" = having devotion in front/led by devotion)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक/यः-तद् (relative pronoun)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नार्य्यः: women
• नार्य्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• शिवलोकम्: Śiva’s world
• शिवलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + लोक (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ("शिवस्य लोकः")

• व्रजन्ति: go, attain
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Assertion/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle of assertion)

Speaker

Sundarī (deduced from immediate dialogue cue in 57)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed group of men and women devotees sweep, carry water, and offer lamps in a Śiva-temple precinct; above, a luminous vision of Śivaloka or Śiva’s presence signifies the fruit of service.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti expressed through Śiva-sevā grants the highest spiritual destination, Śivaloka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva sacred sphere, where service to Śiva is proclaimed as supremely fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-sevā (including acts like temple cleaning) is upheld as a direct devotional discipline leading to exalted merit.