Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

एतद्रहस्यमिदमेव नृणां प्रधानं कर्तव्यमत्र शिवपूजनमेव भूप । यस्यांतरायपदवीमुपयांति लोकाः सद्योः नरः शिवनतः शिवमेव सत्यम्

Transliteration

etadrahasyamidameva nṛṇāṃ pradhānaṃ kartavyamatra śivapūjanameva bhūpa | yasyāṃtarāyapadavīmupayāṃti lokāḥ sadyoḥ naraḥ śivanataḥ śivameva satyam

Translation

Ceci est le secret, et le devoir primordial des hommes en ce monde, ô roi : le culte de Śiva seul. Même si les êtres s’engagent sur la voie des obstacles, celui qui se prosterne devant Śiva atteint Śiva sur-le-champ : Śiva seul est la Vérité.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — demonstrative qualifying रहस्यम्

• रहस्यम्: secret, esoteric teaching
• रहस्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — subject/complement

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — appositional demonstrative

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• नृणाम्: of people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — 'of men'

• प्रधानम्: chief, foremost
• प्रधानम्: Kriya (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — predicate adjective to रहस्यम्

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'to be done/should be done'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शिवपूजनम्: worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजनम्: Karta (Subject/what is to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — apposition to कर्तव्यम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'worship of Śiva'

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — address

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — 'of whom/whose'

• अन्तरायपदवीम्: the path of obstruction
• अन्तरायपदवीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तराय (प्रातिपदिक) + पदवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — object of upayānti; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'path/track of obstacle'

• उपयान्ति: reach/encounter
• उपयान्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 'approach/attain' (उपसर्ग उप-)

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — subject

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time) — 'immediately'

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — subject (generic singular)

• शिवनतः: one who bows to Śiva
• शिवनतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नत (प्रातिपदिक; from √नम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — adjective to नरः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'bowed to Śiva'

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — object (attains Śiva/auspiciousness)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Kriya (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — predicate adjective ('true')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (king) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is instructed that Śiva-worship alone is the secret duty; around him, people struggle on a thorny path of obstacles, while one devotee bows to Śiva and is shown merging into Śiva’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhūpa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ‘rahasya’ is that Śiva-pūjā is the highest human duty; surrender to Śiva cuts through obstacles and grants swift spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a universal mahātmya of Śiva-worship itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjana (worship) and śiva-namaskāra (bowing to Śiva) are prescribed as the central practices.