Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अनाराध्य महेशानं सर्वदं सर्वदेहिनाम् । कोपि क्वापि किमप्यत्र न लभेतेति निश्चितम्

Transliteration

anārādhya maheśānaṃ sarvadaṃ sarvadehinām | kopi kvāpi kimapyatra na labheteti niścitam

Translation

Sans adorer Maheśāna, dispensateur de tout à tous les êtres incarnés, nul, nulle part, n’obtient quoi que ce soit en ce monde ; cela est certain.

Word by Word

• अनाराध्य: without worshipping
• अनाराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action—negated/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनाराध् (धातु; अन् + आ + राध्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय/gerund), निषेधपूर्वकः ‘without worshipping’

• महेशानम्: Maheśāna (the Great Lord, Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईशान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘महान् ईशानः’)

• सर्वदम्: giver of all
• सर्वदम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वं ददाति’); विशेषणम् (महेशानम्)

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + देहिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वे देहिनः’)

• कः: anyone
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्न/अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘anyone’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’ (अनिश्चितार्थे)

• क्व: anywhere
• क्व: Adverbial (Place/देशाधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनिश्चित-अव्यय (adverb of place) ‘anywhere’

• अपि: at all
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अनिश्चितार्थे ‘at all’

• किम्: anything
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘anything’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अनिश्चितार्थे ‘even’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (Place/Topic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) ‘here/in this matter’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• लभेत: would obtain
• लभेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• निश्चितम्: certain; determined
• निश्चितम्: Kriya (Predicative complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (प्रातिपदिक; नि + चि (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/वाक्ये विधेयम् ‘it is certain’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative devotional scene: Maheśāna enthroned or as a radiant liṅga at Kāśī; diverse beings (householder, ascetic, king, outcaste) approach with offerings, while those turning away remain empty-handed—illustrating the verse’s certainty.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva (Maheśāna) is affirmed as the universal bestower; worship is presented as the indispensable root of all attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Śiva in Kāśī, the foremost Śaiva tīrtha in this section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (worship/propitiation) of Maheśāna is the stated prescription, though no single method is specified.