Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

अपूज्या यत्र पूज्यं ते पूजनीयो न पूज्यते । त्रीणी तत्र प्रवर्तंते दुर्भिक्षं मरणं भयम्

Transliteration

apūjyā yatra pūjyaṃ te pūjanīyo na pūjyate | trīṇī tatra pravartaṃte durbhikṣaṃ maraṇaṃ bhayam

Translation

“Where the unworthy are honored and the truly worthy is not honored, three calamities arise there: famine, death, and fear.”

Word by Word

• apūjyāḥ: those unworthy of worship
• apūjyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज् + यत्, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘अपूज्य’ (not to be worshipped)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• pūjyāḥ: the worthy ones
• pūjyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज् + यत्)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘पूज्य’ (worthy of worship)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) / (सन्दर्भे ‘they’); सर्वनाम

• pūjanīyaḥ: the one who should be worshipped
• pūjanīyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjanīya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज् + अनीयर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• pūjyate: is worshipped
• pūjyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (Passive)

• trīṇi: three
• trīṇi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• pravartante: arise
• pravartante: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• durbhikṣam: famine
• durbhikṣam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-bhikṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu (continuation of admonition; inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych symbolism: (1) empty granaries and cracked earth (famine), (2) funeral pyre or fallen figures (death), (3) trembling crowds under dark clouds (fear), while a divine figure points toward a Śiva-liṅga as the remedy—proper honor.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected by right reverence; when reverence is misplaced, collective suffering follows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting; it supports the Mahātmya by stressing proper devotion to the Lord of the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; the core instruction is proper pūjā and honoring the truly pūjanīya.