Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

शिवदीक्षाधरो यस्तु शतघ्नं लभते फलम् । तस्माच्छतघ्नमाप्नोति शैवात्पाशुपतश्च यः । तस्मात्कालमुखो यश्च महाव्रतधरश्च यः

Transliteration

śivadīkṣādharo yastu śataghnaṃ labhate phalam | tasmācchataghnamāpnoti śaivātpāśupataśca yaḥ | tasmātkālamukho yaśca mahāvratadharaśca yaḥ

Translation

Wer die Śiva-Weihe (Śiva-dīkṣā) trägt, erlangt hundertfachen Lohn. Höher noch: der Pāśupata-Verehrer gewinnt hundertfach mehr als der Śaiva. Noch erhabener ist der Kālamukha, ebenso der Träger des Mahāvrata.

Word by Word

• śiva-dīkṣā-dharaḥ: one who bears Śiva-initiation
• śiva-dīkṣā-dharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य दीक्षा; तां धरति)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• śataghnam: a hundredfold (reward)
• śataghnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śataghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• śataghnam: hundredfold (fruit)
• śataghnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śataghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) उपसर्गः आ-
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śaivāt: from a Śaiva (teacher/line)
• śaivāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान (from a Śaiva)

• pāśupataḥ: a Pāśupata
• pāśupataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रयोगः (therefore/from that)

• kāla-mukhaḥ: a Kālāmukha
• kāla-mukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य मुखः/कालमुखः—नाम/सम्प्रदायविशेषः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• mahā-vrata-dharaḥ: one who bears the great vow
• mahā-vrata-dharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (महद् व्रतम्; तद्धरः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiered procession of Śaiva practitioners: (1) dīkṣita with tripuṇḍra, (2) Pāśupata ascetic with staff and distinctive marks, (3) Kālamukha with austere attire, (4) Mahāvrata bearer in intense tapas posture—each surrounded by progressively brighter aura indicating hundredfold increases.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pāśupata
• Kālamukha
• Mahāvrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text presents graded spiritual efficacy: deeper vows and stricter Śaiva disciplines are said to multiply the fruit of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named in this verse; it is a doctrinal-ritual ranking within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-dīkṣā (initiation) and adherence to specific Śaiva paths/vows (Pāśupata discipline, Kālamukha observance, Mahāvrata).