Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वाणिक्संपूजयामास त्रिकालं च कृतादरः । सर्वधर्प्रविशेवज्ञः साक्षाद्धर्म इवापरः

Transliteration

vāṇiksaṃpūjayāmāsa trikālaṃ ca kṛtādaraḥ | sarvadharpraviśevajñaḥ sākṣāddharma ivāparaḥ

Translation

Un mercader lo adoraba con reverencia tres veces al día. Era diestro en entrar en todo deber—como si fuera el propio Dharma en otra forma.

Word by Word

• वाणिक्: the merchant
• वाणिक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिज्/वाणिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

• सम्पूजयामास: worshipped, duly honored
• सम्पूजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person sg, parasmaipada

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (daily)
• त्रिकालम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास — Neuter Acc sg; dvigu compound used adverbially

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृत-आदरः: with reverence, respectful
• कृत-आदरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, क्त) + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (कृतः आदरः यस्य) — Masculine Nom sg; ‘having shown reverence’

• सर्व-धर्म-प्रवेश-ज्ञः: knower of all dharma’s inner meaning
• सर्व-धर्म-प्रवेश-ज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास — Masculine Nom sg; ‘knower of the entry/essence of all dharmas’

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: directly/manifestly)

• धर्मः: Dharma (righteousness personified)
• धर्मः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अपरः: another, second
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

Speaker

Nārada (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara/Nandabhadra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous merchant, humble in posture, performs worship at dawn, noon, and dusk—offering water, flowers, incense, and lamp before the liṅga; his face shows steady reverence and disciplined calm.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra (liṅga)
• Kapileśvara
• Merchant (vāṇik)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady daily worship (trikāla-pūjā) and practical dharma can make an ordinary householder shine as an embodiment of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bahūdaka tirtha’s Śiva-liṅga (Kapileśvara/Nandabhadra) is the focus of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-pūjā—worship performed three times daily.