Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवौ हरिहरौ भक्त्या विप्रवह्निगवां गतौ । येऽर्चयंति महाशूद्र तेषां मोक्षप्रदोहरिः

Transliteration

devau hariharau bhaktyā vipravahnigavāṃ gatau | ye'rcayaṃti mahāśūdra teṣāṃ mokṣapradohariḥ

Translation

Die beiden Gottheiten — Hari und Hara — werden in Bhakti durch Dienst an Brāhmaṇas, am heiligen Feuer und an den Kühen nahbar. O großer Śūdra, für die Verehrenden wird Hari zum Spender der Befreiung (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• देवौ: the two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• हरिहरौ: Hari and Hara (Vishnu and Shiva)
• हरिहरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रवह्निगवाम्: of Brahmins, sacred fires, and cows
• विप्रवह्निगवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + वह्नि + गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); द्वन्द्व-समास (vipra-vahni-gavām = of Brahmins, fires, and cows)

• गतौ: gone; having gone
• गतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषण (qualifying देवौ/हरिहरौ)

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

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महाशूद्र: O great Śūdra
• महाशूद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (mahā-śūdra = O great Śūdra)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मोक्षप्रदः: giver of liberation
• मोक्षप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; प्रद = √दा/प्रदा-कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (mokṣa-prada = giver of liberation)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Gālava (addressing a listener described as mahā-śūdra within the dialogue context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāśūdra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers fodder to cows, tends a sacred fire, and respectfully serves a brāhmaṇa; above, Hari and Hara appear together, indicating that such service is direct worship leading to liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Hara (Śiva)
• vipra
• vahni
• gāvaḥ
• mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through dharmic supports of society (brāhmaṇas, sacred fire, cows) leads to mokṣa, affirming an inclusive path of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Śālagrāma/liṅga-focused teaching within the Tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Hari–Hara with devotion, supported by honoring vipras, maintaining sacred fire, and revering cows.