Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

ये द्विजा ब्रह्मचर्येण तपः परममास्थिताः । वर्षैरनेकैर्यज्ञानां तेऽपि स्वर्गपरा भवन्

Transliteration

ye dvijā brahmacaryeṇa tapaḥ paramamāsthitāḥ | varṣairanekairyajñānāṃ te'pi svargaparā bhavan

Translation

Jene Zweifachgeborenen, die durch Brahmacarya die höchste Askese auf sich nahmen und viele Jahre Opfer darbrachten—auch sie erlangten als Frucht nur den Himmel.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy (brahmacarya)
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (by means of)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, highest
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः इति)

• आस्थिताः: have undertaken, have practiced
• आस्थिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वर्षैः: by years, for years
• वर्षैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे (measure of time)

• अनेकैः: many
• अनेकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (वर्षैः इति)

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• स्वर्गपराः: aiming at heaven
• स्वर्गपराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग-पर (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते इति)

• भवन्: became
• भवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; छान्दस/पुराणप्रयोगे रूपम् (भवन् = अभवन्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics and sacrificers performing long rites—fire altars, ladles, offerings—while a contrasting luminous vision of Kedāra/Śiva suggests a higher goal beyond heaven; the mood is reflective and corrective.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great austerity and sacrifice commonly yield svarga (a temporary reward), implying the need for a higher path leading beyond heaven.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Kedāra’s sacred narrative, where Śiva’s grace is presented as transcending merely heavenly results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya and long-term yajña are referenced as meritorious disciplines, though the verse stresses their limited (svarga) outcome.