Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एकवाक्यं न कुर्वंति शिवार्चनबहिष्कृताः । तर्को हि क्रियते यैश्च तेसर्वे किं शिवं विना

Transliteration

ekavākyaṃ na kurvaṃti śivārcanabahiṣkṛtāḥ | tarko hi kriyate yaiśca tesarve kiṃ śivaṃ vinā

Translation

Wer die Verehrung Śivas ausschließt, gelangt nicht zu einem einzigen, stimmigen Wort. Diejenigen, die nur Streitgespräche betreiben—was sind sie alle ohne Śiva?

Word by Word

• एकवाक्यम्: one statement; a single conclusion
• एकवाक्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं वाक्यम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• कुर्वन्ति: they make/do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• शिवार्चनबहिष्कृताः: excluded from Śiva-worship
• शिवार्चनबहिष्कृताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of implied subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; बहिः + कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिव-अर्चनात् बहिष्कृताः = excluded from Śiva-worship)

• तर्कः: argument
• तर्कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

• क्रियते: is done/made
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशे (by whom)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ते)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• किम्: what (are they)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-प्रयोगः

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object with vinā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विना-योगे (object of vinā)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक-उपपद (without; governs accusative)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Debaters’ voices fade as they turn toward a Śiva-liṅga; the shrine’s lamp becomes the visual center, symbolizing unifying truth.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• śivārcana (Śiva worship)
• tarka (disputation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without devotion and worship of Śiva, reasoning tends to fragment; true auspiciousness (śiva) and spiritual unity arise from lived bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s tirtha-vision is reinforced: the sacred path centers on Śiva and His worship, the heart of Kedāra’s mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivārcana (worship of Śiva) is upheld as essential, implicitly superior to mere debate.