Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

येऽर्चयंति सदा लोके महेश्वरसमन्विताम् । बिल्वपत्रैर्महाभक्त्या न तेषां दुःखदुष्कृती

Transliteration

ye'rcayaṃti sadā loke maheśvarasamanvitām | bilvapatrairmahābhaktyā na teṣāṃ duḥkhaduṣkṛtī

Translation

Wer in dieser Welt fortwährend (die Göttin), vereint mit Maheśvara, verehrt und Bilva-Blätter in großer Bhakti darbringt—bei ihnen bleiben weder Leid noch sündhafte Taten bestehen.

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महेश्वरसमन्विताम्: accompanied by Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरसमन्विताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश्वर-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; maheśvara + samanvita)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवीम्); तत्पुरुषः (महेश्वरेण समन्विता = accompanied by Maheśvara)

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व-पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• महाभक्त्या: with great devotion
• महाभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती भक्ति)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तेषाम्: for them/of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दुःखदुष्कृती: sorrow and evil deed (misfortune and sin)
• दुःखदुष्कृती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख-दुष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक; duḥkha + duṣkṛti)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दुःखं च दुष्कृतिः च)

Speaker

Gālava (deduced from immediate chapter-context; narrative dialogue in Paijavana-upākhyāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees repeatedly offer bilva leaves with intense devotion before an image of the Devī inseparably accompanied by Maheśvara; dark clouds of sorrow and sin dissolve into clear light around them.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Bilva (Bael leaves)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotion expressed through simple offerings (bilva leaves) to Śiva with the Goddess is taught to destroy sorrow and sinful tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya stream of Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, praising worship connected to that sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular worship (pūjā/arcana) with bilva leaves, performed with great bhakti.