Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

परोपकरणं नाम साधूनां व्रतमाहितम् । विशेषतः प्रणोद्यानां शिष्यवृत्तिमुपेयुषाम्

Transliteration

paropakaraṇaṃ nāma sādhūnāṃ vratamāhitam | viśeṣataḥ praṇodyānāṃ śiṣyavṛttimupeyuṣām

Translation

Service to others is truly the vowed discipline established for the holy; especially so for those fit to be guided, who have taken up the conduct of disciples.

Word by Word

• परोपकरणम्: service to others
• परोपकरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकार/उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परस्य उपकारः/उपकरणम्) ‘helping others’

• नाम: called, indeed
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/indeed, called)

• साधूनाम्: of the virtuous
• साधूनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of the good/saints’

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आहितम्: established
• आहितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + धा (धातु) → आहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with व्रतम्; ‘established/undertaken’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त); manner adverb ‘especially’

• प्रणोद्यानाम्: of those to be guided
• प्रणोद्यानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नुद् (धातु) → प्रणोद्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive used substantively), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of those who are to be urged/disciples under guidance’

• शिष्यवृत्तिम्: disciple-conduct
• शिष्यवृत्तिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिष्यस्य वृत्तिः) ‘conduct/role of a disciple’

• उपेयुषाम्: of those who have taken up/attained
• उपेयुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + इ (धातु) → उपेयुष् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (लिट्-कृदन्त/परिप्रयोगः; ‘having approached/attained’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; qualifies प्रणोद्यानाम्

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher in the dialogue (immediate speaker not explicitly marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: a revered speaker defines the vow of the holy as helping others, highlighting the disciple’s path of service and guided conduct.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The hallmark of sādhus and sincere disciples is paropakāra—active help and service toward others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches a universal vow of saintly conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Paropakara (service to others) is framed as a vrata (vowed discipline), especially for disciples.